Ryan Blaney entered the Talladega race with hopes of finishing stronger than his previous year’s performances, which ended in 20th and 39th positions, respectively. This season had shown promising glimpses of speed, yet they hadn’t translated into solid results, culminating in four DNFs after the Stage 1 incident that involved Blaney, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Busch.
During the Jack Link’s 500 race at Talladega, the event took a dramatic turn on lap 43 of Stage 1. As drivers maneuvered off Turn 4 and into pit road, Kyle Busch, trailing behind Keselowski, made slight contact with the latter’s #6 Ford. This minor contact caused Keselowski’s car to slide into Busch, triggering a chain reaction that sent both vehicles spinning.
In a desperate attempt to avoid the unfolding chaos, Blaney veered toward the lower track. Unfortunately, Keselowski’s Ford clipped Blaney’s right side, propelling the #12 car into a spin across the tri-oval before it finally came to rest in the infield grass. While Busch was spun back up the track, his incident culminated in a collision with Alex Bowman, though Bowman emerged with only minor damage.
Blaney’s misfortune grew as his car was towed to the garage due to a broken tow link and brake issues. Despite initially hoping for repairs that would allow him to return to the race, Blaney ultimately had to exit the vehicle, securing a disappointing P39 finish. Keselowski faced a similar fate, with his car suffering too much damage to continue, leaving him with a P38 result. In contrast, Busch managed to return to the race after his crew quickly addressed the damages.
Conveying his frustration during the FOX broadcast, Blaney expressed disappointment, stating, “Another DNF is no fun. Oh man, we’ve just been riddled with those this year. Hopefully, we can get it sorted out.” This sentiment was compounded when Dale Earnhardt Jr., a significant supporter of Blaney, reached out for updates during a mid-flight posting, asking for a description of the race thus far. Blaney’s curt response, “I didn’t have fun,” reflected the dismal nature of his experience that day.
Despite these setbacks, Ryan Blaney remains a formidable competitor, with four top-10 finishes and three top-fives this season. There is still much potential and determination within the No. 12 team, suggesting that while this race may have ended in disappointment, the fight is far from over.
