Ryan Blaney takes Stage 2 victory at Kansas

Blaney, who led a total of 29 laps in the first two stages, was followed by Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Jamie McMurray, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Erik Jones and Joey Logano.

“I think we got our car a little better, that says a lot for everyone on the pit box,” said Blaney, who scored his third stage win of the year.

Truex led the field to green on Lap 87 as shade covered two-thirds of the track. Jimmie Johnson, who exited through too many pit boxes following his service, was forced to restart at the rear of the field. By Lap 90, the No. 78 car had extended his lead by seven-tenths of a second over Kyle Busch.

Erik Jones spun off of Turn 2 while running ninth to bring out the fifth caution on Lap 95. Truex led followed by Kyle Busch, Larson, Harvick, Blaney, Keselowski, Kahne, Hamlin, Austin Dillon and Matt Kenseth. Fourteen cars pitted with Keselowski leading the drivers onto pit road.

When the race returned to green, Kyle Busch passed Truex, Larson, Harvick and Blaney rounded out the top five. As the cars came around after Lap 100, Johnson made contact with Kurt Busch in Turn 1 and cut his left rear tire. Debris from the No. 48 car forced NASCAR to call the sixth caution on Lap 101.

Kyle Busch remained at the point followed by Truex, Blaney, Larson and Harvick. The race returned to green on Lap 105 with Busch and Truex out front. Blaney, Harvick, Hamlin, Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon, Logano and Suarez rounded out the top 10.

On Lap 114, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. pitted with a loose tire. He was 13th. Keselowski, who was in the top 10, was forced to pit with a loose left rear tire on Lap 120. However, Keselowski drove thru too many pit boxes and had to serve a pass-thru penalty. After his drive-thru on Lap125, Keselowski dropped to 35th, two laps down. Kyle Busch remained in the lead followed by Blaney, Truex, Harvick and Hamlin.

Kurt Busch pitted with a cut tire on Lap 134.

Corey LaJoie slammed into the Turn 4 wall to prompt Caution 7 on Lap 136. The front pack pitted, but Clint Bowyer stayed out and took the lead when the race went green on Lap 142. Blaney passed the No. 14 on the restart followed by Larson, Kyle Busch, Truex, Hamlin then Bowyer, who had dropped to sixth.

Gray Gaulding’s engine blew on Lap 146 to ignite the eighth yellow. Blaney led followed by Larson, Kyle Busch, Truex, Hamlin, McMurray, Kahne, Kenseth and Logano when the race returned to green.

Twenty-seven cars remained on the lead lap at the end of the second stage.

Ryan Newman ended up behind the wall after 154 laps with an engine failure.