Ryan Blaney finally got his Homestead-Miami Speedway moment after two painful runner-up finishes (2023-2024) at the track. The Team Penske driver returned to Victory Lane in the 2026 season finale, overcoming an early pit road setback to secure the win. But this triumph carried more weight than simply ending the year on a high note. Two years earlier, Tyler Reddick had snatched victory from Blaney in the final corner, leaving the No. 12 driver with a defeat he admitted had continued to haunt him.

“I’m gonna be honest with you. Every time I come here, that race haunts me and, you know, it kind of had a way. I gave that one away and I didn’t do a very good job at the end of that race and learned from it, you know, and was able to apply some stuff we learned a couple years ago in that situation to tonight,” Ryan Blaney said in his post-race interview after winning the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race.

The Team Penske driver was referring to the 2024 Straight Talk Wireless 400 race, when he came agonizingly close to securing a victory before Tyler Reddick stole it on the final lap. Blaney had taken the lead from Denny Hamlin with two laps remaining and appeared to have the race under control.

However, Reddick had other plans. The 23XI Racing driver used the outside lane to build tremendous momentum through Turns 3 and 4, sweeping around Blaney as they exited the final corner. Reddick’s last-lap move secured the victory and a Championship 4 berth, while Blaney was left wondering what he could have done differently.

The defeat was particularly painful because Blaney had led 47 laps and fought his way back to the front after Hamlin briefly took control. He later admitted that he had not executed the final lap properly. His positioning through Turns 1 and 2 gave Reddick an opportunity to build momentum, and the No. 45 Toyota capitalized. Blaney finished second, but the disappointment stayed with him every time he returned to the Florida track.

Two years later, the same drivers found themselves fighting for the Homestead victory again, but Blaney had a different response ready. His afternoon was not without trouble. After finishing second in Stage 1, the No. 12 Ford had to return to pit road on Lap 84 because of a possible loose wheel. The extra stop pushed him backward, forcing him to recover positions while also learning how his car handled across different racing lanes.

That setback did not derail his afternoon. Blaney finished fifth in Stage 2 and gradually worked his way back into contention. Denny Hamlin controlled much of the middle portion of the race, but Blaney remained close enough to challenge during the final run. With the championship already decided, the No. 12 team could concentrate entirely on securing one final victory before the offseason.

The closing laps brought the showdown Blaney had been waiting for. William Byron, Hamlin, Reddick and Blaney all featured in the fight for the lead. After the final round of pit stops and a late caution, Byron led the restart with Reddick and Blaney close behind.

Reddick eventually moved ahead with eight laps remaining, putting Blaney in pursuit once again. But this time, the Penske driver did not let the opportunity slip away. He worked his way into second and kept the pressure on the No. 45. This time it was Blaney who made the pass on the penultimate lap by going on the outside lane and held the position until he finally secured the checkered flag.

The victory gave Blaney a fitting end to a season as it allowed him to settle a score with a track that had repeatedly reminded him of one painful mistake. He acknowledged that the experience from 2024 helped him handle the closing situation differently. This time, when Reddick was alongside him in the fight for victory, Blaney had the final say.