KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Ryan Blaney, the first driver to secure a spot in the NASCAR Cup Round of 8 after winning last weekend’s race at New Hampshire, crashed during early practice Saturday at Kansas Speedway. Due to the damage, Blaney’s team confirmed he will compete in Sunday’s race using a backup car, which airs at 3 p.m. ET on the USA Network.
Details on the Incident and Tire Failure
Blaney explained the cause of the crash stemmed from a tire blowout, stating,
“We blew a tire, so we’ll have to look at it and see why that was,”
signaling the team’s focus on identifying the root cause. Despite his frustration over the accident, Blaney remains determined:
“I hate that we crashed a race car and stuff like that, but we’ll take a peek at what we need to do differently and hopefully come from the back (Sunday). I’m looking forward to getting the race going.”
When asked about the potential role of low air pressure, Blaney said,
“I wouldn’t say I really had any feel of something kind of off until right before it went, honestly. It kind of had that normal feeling to it until it blew. That’s kind of the hard thing about when you blow tires like that. They don’t feel way off and then they just kind of give out the next moment, so I didn’t have any kind of caution beforehand.”
Additional Practice Challenges for Team Penske
Team Penske teammate Joey Logano also faced tire trouble during the practice session, experiencing a tire failure but managing to avoid any contact with the wall by pulling the car safely off the track.
Implications for Sunday’s Race at Kansas Speedway
The switch to a backup car means Ryan Blaney will start Sunday’s race from a less favorable position, adding pressure as he aims to maintain his strong form from New Hampshire. With the team assessing tire performance and vehicle adjustments, the outcome at Kansas Speedway could test Blaney’s ability to overcome setbacks while continuing Team Penske’s competitive momentum.
