DOVER, Del. – Ryan Blaney used a fast pit stop to assume the race lead and then cruised to his fourth NASCAR XFINITY Series stage win of the season during the second stage of Saturday’s ‘Use Your Melon’ Drive Sober 200 at Dover Int’l Speedway.
Blaney beat William Byron off pit road during the first stage break and then paced the final 57 laps of the stage en route to a 2.806 second margin at the second green-checkered flag of the day.
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular led every green flag lap following the only restart of the stage on the 68th circuit. A caution-free run followed after an opening stage that saw three incidents that drew yellow flags.
Byron hung with Blaney for much of the stage before settling into the second position, followed by his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier, Daniel Suarez and a third JRM Chevrolet in Elliott Sadler.
Tyler Reddick, Cole Custer, Daniel Hemric, Brennan Poole and Erik Jones completed the points-scoring drivers in the top 10 at the second stage break.
Jones and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Tifft, who crossed the line 11th, both rallied from the back of the field during the second stage.
Erik Jones was busted for speeding at lap 64, while Tifft came back from damage sustained in an opening stage crash at lap six that eliminated Brandon Jones and Jeff Green.
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network.
Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 23-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
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