Despite Ryan Blaney finishing in 32nd place and only leading four laps, he allegedly played a role in Joey Logano’s victory. His efforts were respectable, especially considering he started from the back due to a flat tire during practice — a mishap that caused him to spin out on Turn 1 and slam the driver’s side into the outside wall.
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Toby Christie reported on X that the #12 communicated to his crew right after the incident, saying, “I had no warning; my head hurts. I had no warning, man. Sorry.”
It appears the crash did more than just car damage; Blaney suffered from a persistent headache throughout the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mid-race, he communicated his discomfort to his team, requesting an Advil, according to Kelly Crandall from RACER. The medication provided temporary relief, allowing him to continue.
But then the race took a toll on Blaney, particularly after an incident on Lap 90 where his #12 Ford suffered a broken right rear toe link. The mechanical failure exacerbated his earlier discomfort, causing headaches as he struggled to control the car back to the pit road. He described the experience saying:
“My head was killing me. When we broke the right rear toe link, flopping all around in there me trying to get back to pit road, and you just get to freakin’ basketball back and forth, back and forth, on the headrest. I was fine until the end and then my head started to kill me again. It helped me a little bit but a long day.”
Ryan Blaney radioed he was struggling and wanted Advil or something during the race. I asked what he was feeling: “My head was killing me. When we broke the right rear toe link, flopping all around in there me trying to get back to pit road, and you just get to freakin’…
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) October 20, 2024
However, when asked by Crandall about any lingering concerns from the weekend’s hardships, Blaney maintained a solid front, stating, “We’ll find out. I’ll be in Miami next week, though. I’ll tell you that.”
Blaney’s rocky start in the Round of 8 at Las Vegas Speedway
Blaney, starting from the rear at Las Vegas Speedway, navigated his way through the field, finishing Stage 1 in 17th place. Yet, the onset of Stage 2 brought chaos with a multi-car collision entangling fellow playoff contenders Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, and Blaney himself.
While Elliott and Blaney managed to press on despite their cars’ damage, Reddick’s race concluded abruptly with his #45 23XI Racing Toyota taking a tumble through the infield, ending his run in 35th place. Despite his efforts, Blaney wrapped up Stage 2 in 32nd position.
Post-race, Blaney finds himself nearly at the bottom of the playoff standings, having accumulated only 5 points from the event. He now faces a steep 47-point deficit as the Round of 8 progresses, placing him in a precarious position with considerable ground to make up.
