Ryan Blaney He had an early accident that ended his race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The DNF is detrimental to his qualifying run, especially considering the next race at Talladega Superspeedway could be unpredictable.
On lap 72, Blaney cut the front left tire of his No. 12 car Team Penske Ford, sending the car hard into the wall between turns three and four. The collision caused severe damage and broke the steering wheel, forcing him to retire early. As a result, he became the only driver to finish the first stage without obtaining a single point.
NASCAR insider Jeff Glock picked up the radio call from the No. 12 team after the incident, where Blaney was heard saying:
“I have no direction. Everything is broken. Everything is broken on him.”
Ryan Blaney entered the South Point 400 in Las Vegas six points above the qualifying line, sitting second in the standings. However, his early exit now puts him in a weak position heading into the final two races of the quarter-finals. And with contenders like Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Chase Briscoe and Joey Logano all within 24 points below the finish line, Blaney’s DNF could prove costly.
Even a fellow playoff competitor Denny Hamlin echoed that concernHe described Las Vegas as the “most important” race to maintain momentum. Talladega Superspeedway will be a much greater challenge, as pack racing increases the risk of massive wrecks. Drivers in front also rely on strong pushes from behind to stay in front.
The only bright spot for Blaney is his solid track record on these upcoming tracks. He won the Talladega playoff in 2023 and has recorded back-to-back playoff victories at Martinsville over the past two seasons.
‘I’m not very happy’: Ryan Blaney on early exit from Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney spoke with the media after exiting his race car early at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He was hoping to win at least one of the two round-robin races after a DNF this week that severely damaged his qualifying run.
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion said (via Front extension On the tenth):
“I’m not very happy, I’ll tell you that. I have to come back, like we did last year. Hopefully we can win one of the next two weeks. I can’t have a smooth day, it seems.”
He also spoke about his past successes in upcoming races at Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway, adding:
“I have to be optimistic. I’m not very happy right now, but tomorrow morning, I’ll be optimistic going into the next race. We had success in the next two events. Hopefully we can pick up the pace and try to overcome the gap we put ourselves in today.”
The DNF in Las Vegas marks Ryan Blaney’s eighth of the 2025 NASCAR season. Despite the setback, he remains Team Penske’s highest-ranked driver, ahead of the defending champion Joey Logano. While Austin Cindric was eliminated after the round of 12, both Blaney and Logano continue to fight for Team Penske’s shot at extending their title streak to four in a row.
Edited by Zarek Sanchez
https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/10/27309535-1760311393.jpeg
Source link