Taking part in it secure, Blaney and several other different lead-lap vehicles waited to make their last pit cease properly inside their gas window whereas Almirola and Chase Elliott had been amongst that pit earlier hoping for a number of late-race cautions.
As an alternative, the race ended with an uncommon 168-lap inexperienced flag run and Blaney – on more energizing tires – ran down Almirola with 22 of 500 laps to go, going to his outdoors and cleared him for the lead off Flip 4.
Blaney then held off Almirola by 0.889 seconds on the checkered flag to safe the essential victory which mechanically advances him to the ultimate 4 of the playoffs and the possibility to race for the collection title subsequent weekend at Phoenix.
The win is the third this season for the motive force of the No. 12 Penske Ford, with two coming within the playoffs, and tenth of his profession.
“It’s superior. I grew up in Excessive Level, not too removed from right here. Nearer to Excessive Level truthfully, Martinsville is than Charlotte,” Blaney mentioned. “Actually cool. Desirous to win right here for a very long time. Been tremendous shut for a few years. Superior to shut it out.
“I imply, felt like we put collectively actually robust playoffs, particularly the Spherical of 8, we had a great run in the entire Spherical of 8. Simply total actually pleased with the entire effort.
“RP (group proprietor Roger Penske) couldn’t be right here, sadly, however I do know he was watching. That is superior. Can’t wait to get to Phoenix subsequent week.”
Denny Hamlin completed third and missed out on the Championship 4 for the second consecutive season, Chase Briscoe was fourth and Joey Logano rounded out the highest 5.
Finishing the top-10 are Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Chris Buescher, Austin Cindric and Todd Gilliland.
Becoming a member of Blaney within the Championship 4 at Phoenix are Larson, Bell and William Byron, who completed thirteenth in Sunday’s race.
Stage 1
Hamlin acquired a great leap on a restart with 19 of 130 laps remaining and held off Blaney by 0.873 seconds to win declare the Stage 1 win. Martin Truex Jr. was third, Briscoe fourth and Brad Keselowski rounded out the highest 5.
Stage 2
Blaney ran down Hamlin with 29 laps to go within the stage for the lead and held him off by 0.617 seconds to take the Stage 2 win. Briscoe was third, Logano fourth and Keselowski was fifth.
Ryan Newman spun off Flip 4 after contact from Bell to convey out a warning and ship the lead-lap vehicles down pit highway on lap 217. Truex was hit with a rushing penalty and needed to restart from the rear of the sector when the race resumed with 40 to go.
Stage 3
Following the break between Phases 2 and three, a number of lead-lap vehicles pit with Ryan Preece first off pit highway. Blaney remained on the observe and within the lead when the ultimate stage acquired below manner on lap 230.
On lap 273, Logano acquired into the again of Ty Gibbs and twice knocked him into Hamlin earlier than Gibbs’ No. 54 slid up the observe and spun which collected a number of different vehicles and introduced out the warning.
Blaney led Hamlin and Logano on the restart with 216 laps remaining within the race.
Gibbs acquired spun once more – this time by Carson Hocevar – with slightly below 200 laps to go to convey out one other warning. Solely a handful of lead-lap automobile pit and Blaney continued to guide Hamlin on the restart with 190 laps left.
A spin by Michael McDowell despatched a lot of the lead-lap automobile down pit highway to take new tires and gas to make it to the tip of the race. Almirola was first off pit highway and Elliott stayed out and took over the lead when the race resumed with 169 to go.
With 89 laps to go, Almirola – nonetheless on the lookout for his first win of the 2023 season – ran down Elliott and moved into the lead for the primary time within the race.
After 425 laps, Almirola had moved out to virtually a 1-second lead over Elliott – however Elliott probably nonetheless needed to make yet another cease for gas. Amongst these vehicles who had been good on gas, Larson ran fifth, Blaney sixth, Buescher seventh and Hamlin eighth.
With 30 laps to go, Blaney had moved as much as second and trailed Almirola by lower than 1.5 seconds as Elliott ran third.
With 22 laps remaining, Blaney went to the skin of Almirola and cleared him off Flip 4 to reclaim the lead.
