Has Ryan Blaney Failed to Move on From Causing Las Vegas Wreck?

Neha Dwivedi | 19/03/2025
Nov 8, 2024; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) during practice for the NASCAR Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Despite being known for his aggressive demeanor behind the wheel and susceptibility to previous races’ frustration, Ryan Blaney has expressed his resolve to move past such setbacks a day after his incident at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Team Penske driver previously acknowledged the positive influence of his wife, Gianna Tulio, in helping him recover more swiftly from racing disappointments, thereby preventing them from overshadowing his subsequent week.

Reflecting on this shift after the Las Vegas race as well, Blaney remarked, “I try to move on quick. It definitely stung. I made a mistake. I caused that deal on the back stretch pension, Noah, and Bubba in the fence.”

During the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with 70 laps remaining, Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney found himself in a precarious four-wide situation on Lap 195, racing alongside Christopher Bell, Noah Gragson, and Bubba Wallace. As they exited turn 2, Blaney was tightly squeezed by the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing car, which resulted in him spinning down the backstretch.

The mishap initiated a domino effect that ensnared several competitors, including Erik Jones, who collided with Blaney’s rear bumper, as well as Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace.

However, subsequently, Blaney acknowledged his responsibility for the incident. Reflecting on this during a post-race interview with Toby Christie, he commented,

“This thing’s even more when like you’re the cause of it. It’s like, man, I really screwed up there I ruined a couple of other guys’ days as well as my own. But I try to get over it like. Like Monday morning, I’ll think about it Sunday night and go through it. What could I have done different better?”

“But then Monday is like the next task. What do we got next, and move on from there. No use in dwelling on it. As long as you learn from it, you can get over things,” he continued.

Following the race, Ryan Blaney remained composed despite his #12 Ford Mustang suffering considerable damage to its front bumper and splitter, necessitating its removal to the garage. During the heat of the moment, however, Blaney seemed extremely frustrated through the team radio.

Initially, he sought insights from his crew chief regarding the culpability for the incident, to which he received a noncommittal reply, “It was tight. I can’t tell…”

Subsequently, overcome with irritation and pinning the blame on Bell, Blaney criticized, “The f*cking #20 apparently just shoves it through the middle, doesn’t have any regard for anybody … I don’t know. Whatever.” However, after reviewing the replay and recognizing his own role in the mishap, he assumed full responsibility for the incident.

Post Edited By: Srijan Mandal
Ryan Blaney

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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