Ryan Blaney Suffers Major NASCAR Chase Blow After Brake Failure at Gateway
· Yahoo Sports
Ryan Blaney’s afternoon at World Wide Technology Raceway went from championship contention to damage control in a matter of seconds.
Blaney suffered a brake failure during the final stage of Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300, sending his No. 12 Team Penske Ford hard into the wall and forcing one of NASCAR’s leading Chase contenders to the garage.
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The failure came on Lap 154 of 240 and brought out another caution during an increasingly chaotic second race of NASCAR’s 10-race Chase.
Blaney immediately knew he had a serious problem.
“I have no brakes,” Blaney said over his team radio. “So, tell everyone to look out here.”
The No. 12 eventually made its way off the racing surface and toward the garage, where Team Penske faced the task of determining whether Blaney could return.
For a driver who entered Sunday third in the Chase standings and had climbed to second in points as they ran, the timing couldn’t have been much worse.
Ryan Blaney’s Brake Rotor Fails at Gateway
Blaney’s crash wasn’t the result of contact with another driver.
A brake rotor failure sent the No. 12 into the wall, abruptly ending what had been another productive afternoon for the Team Penske driver.
After the impact, Blaney was asked over the radio whether he was OK.
“I’m fine, brakes,” he responded. “Thank you, appreciate it.”
The bigger concern quickly became the condition of the car. When Blaney asked whether he needed to go to the garage, the answer from his team was immediate: “Go to the garage.”
“I have no brakes, so…” Blaney replied.
It was an especially ominous development after brake trouble had already surfaced elsewhere in Sunday’s race. Zane Smith suffered a brake rotor failure earlier in the afternoon that sent his No. 38 Ford into the outside wall.
For Blaney, however, the consequences carry enormous championship weight.
After being evaluated and released from the infield care center, Blaney said he had little indication that the problem was about to end his afternoon.
“No warning, you know I had a little concern early in the race but then they kind of stabilized,” Blaney said.
That only added to the frustration. Blaney had spent much of Sunday running near the front and was looking forward to seeing what the No. 12 could do over the final run.
“It’s unfortunate. It’s a shame, I thought we did a great job today, right up towards the front,” Blaney said. “Was looking forward to seeing how that last run would play out.
“Unfortunately we won’t get the chance.”
Blaney’s response to what comes next was considerably simpler.
“Go race next week.”