Ryan Blaney, known for his steady and calm demeanor, rarely shows strong reactions, but the 2020 Daytona 500 remains a sore subject for him. In one of the closest finishes in the history of the race, Blaney fell just short of victory, as Denny Hamlin claimed the win in a dramatic finish that still lingers in Blaney’s mind. The 2020 Daytona 500 is particularly memorable for Blaney because it represents the toughest loss of his 364 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series.
That year’s race ended after nine laps of overtime, culminating in a yellow caution triggered by a last-lap collision between Blaney and Ryan Newman on the frontstretch. Hamlin crossed the finish line first, edging Blaney in an intensely close contest.
Details Surrounding the Critical Final Moments of the Race
Blaney described the 2020 Daytona 500 as a challenging and haunting experience during a recent Chasing Checkers podcast. He recalled the sequence where he and Newman, running near the front in the biggest race of the year, collided. The moment unfolded with Blaney positioned second, closing in on the lead as the race drew to a close.
The collision between Blaney and Newman, with their cars locked together, resulted in Newman driving into the outside wall and rolling over in a frightening crash. Fortunately, Newman was hospitalized overnight but was released the following day with soreness only.
Reflecting on his role in the incident, Blaney acknowledged,
“I kind of don’t make the best move probably, not the right one, and end up not winning the race,”
adding,
“That one haunts me to this day.”
He admitted that while it’s tempting to Monday morning quarterback the situation, he tries to avoid dwelling too long on the mistakes, explaining,
“It’s so easy to like Monday (morning) quarterback the thing,”
and,
“It’s like, ‘Well, gosh, just do this right,’ and I try not to be that way because it’ll drive you insane.”
How Past Close Calls Shape Blaney’s Perspective
This was not Blaney’s first near victory in the Daytona 500; he previously finished second to Kurt Busch in the 2017 running of the event. Despite these setbacks in the sport’s biggest race, Blaney secured a win at the 2021 summer race at Daytona International Speedway, showing his capability on the track.
Regarding what he could have done differently in 2020, Blaney said,
“Make a different move at the end of the race, like choose a different option, like a different lane,”
but acknowledged that
“It’s a split-second decision, that’s why I try not to like go crazy thinking about that stuff.”
Learning From Defeat and Moving Forward
Although Blaney has revisited the final laps of the 2020 race many times in his mind, he makes an effort not to let the loss consume him. He described his process of managing the disappointment: spending a brief amount of time reflecting, then moving on to avoid obsessing over the mistake.
As he explained,
“So I have to be over it that night, and then I can wake up the next day like it’s a new week and let’s just move on from it.”
Despite having moved on, Blaney remains convinced that a different choice in those last moments could have changed the outcome. He stated,
“If I would have just done this different, we would have won that race,”
and concluded,
“All you can do is learn from it for the next time, and hopefully you make the right choice.”
The Lasting Impact of the 2020 Daytona 500 on Blaney’s Career
The narrow defeat in the 2020 Daytona 500 remains a defining moment for Ryan Blaney, representing a painful “what if” in his racing career. His honest reflection highlights how split-second decisions can have lasting consequences in NASCAR’s most prestigious event. As Blaney continues to compete, the lessons from that race are likely to influence his strategy and mindset in future Daytona 500 appearances, where fans and analysts alike await whether the third time might finally bring him victory.
