Ryan Blaney’s afternoon offered more plot twists than a Perry Mason mystery. (Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After getting swept up in a Turn 4 accident on Lap 118, Ryan Blaney must have felt like it was Daytona deja vu.
Like his efforts in last year’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, the 29-year-old Hartford Township, Ohio native, who started seventh, drove the remainder of the race with a battered No. 12 Ford Mustang.
As the aerodynamics of Blaney’s machine were compromised for the rest of the 65th annual Daytona 500, the Team Penske driver refocused his efforts from winning the race to maximizing the best possible result.
Despite the unfortunate circumstances for Blaney, it could have been far worse with the likes of Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott and Erik Jones eliminated because of extensive damage from the wreck.
Finishing 20th in Stage 1 and 32nd in Stage 2, the 10th year NASCAR Cup Series competitor fell a few laps behind the lead pack.
With the No. 12 Menards/Blue DEF/Peak Ford Mustang team making steadfast repairs, some of Blaney’s pace returned. Regaining those lost laps and driving inside the top-15 in the final laps, an opening race that seemed mired in disappointment became one of promise and resiliency.
Blaney scathed through four multi-car accidents, driving through the carnage to tally an eighth place finish.
All things considered, Blaney expressed his gratitude for his No. 12 team’s attentive repairs and perseverance through a trying “Great American Race.”
Blaney’s car looked more like it competed at Martinsville than Daytona. (Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
“You know, unfortunately getting tore up in the second stage and I thought we did a good job fixing it and staying in it,” Blaney said. “(We) got a couple of laps back and were able to get it driving decent enough to where we lined up in the top-15 and were able to miss some wrecks and finish okay.”
While various race and championship contenders swept up in a rash of late race accidents, Blaney earned 38 valuable points and ranks eighth heading into Sunday’s Pala Casino 400 at Auto Club Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Naturally, Blaney commended his team’s efforts while longing for the chance to compete and emerge victorious in this prestigious race.
“I am really proud of the effort to fix it and make it driveable and get a finish,” he said. “It is unfortunate that we couldn’t race for a win.”
Nevertheless, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season offers plentiful chances for Blaney and his No. 12 team to capture wins and a coveted Playoffs spot for September.
In the meantime, Blaney and his crew chief, Jonathan Hassler, progress onward to the last scheduled Cup race on the current 2-mile configuration for Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Last year, the man known as “YRB” settled for an 18th place result.
This year, much like the Ford Performance camp, the seven-time Cup race winner looks forward to logging his first laps with the reworked nose of the Mustang. For Blaney and those looking forward to the start of the “real racing season,” as David Marcus said from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, “This is where the fun begins.”
