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Ryan Blaney wins first stage in Texas for first stage victory of season

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 - Practice

FORT WORTH, TX - APRIL 07: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 7, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

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Ryan Blaney led 66 laps and won the first stage of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

It is the first stage win of the season for the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford driven by Blaney, who started second for the second time this season.

The top 10 after 85 laps: Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Jamie McMurray, pole-sitter Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Clint Bowyer, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joey Logano and Kyle Busch.

Blaney took the lead on a Lap 16 restart with a power move on the outside around Harvick, who led 19 laps. Blaney retook the lead on a Lap 36 restart after a competition caution.

During pit stops following the end of Stage 1, Truex beat Blaney off pit road to take the lead.

Entering the race, Blaney had led only 33 laps in 60 Cup starts.

Kyle Larson is in the top 10 after rallying from the back twice. Larson started 32nd and had moved into the top 10 when he was penalized for driving through too many pit stalls on his stop during the competition caution.

Austin Dillon went to the garage during the pace laps for broken track bar. He finally joined the race on Lap 12 and is 39th.

The first stage was slowed by three cautions:

Lap 2 - Debris on the frontstretch

Lap 10 - Crash in Turn 2 involving Reed Sorenson, Gray Gaulding and Jeffrey Earnhardt.

Lap 30 - Competition caution

Lap 85 - End of stage