It has not been a great start to the Pennzoil 400 weekend for Ryan Blaney after wrecking his No. 12 Ford Mustang Dark Horse during practice. The Penske driver lost control of the rear and scraped the outside wall but somehow managed to regain control and slowly crept his way back to the garage.
Indeed, the wreck was severe enough to cause significant damage to the car, and Blaney’s expression as he exited the car said it all. The 2023 Cup Series winner looked far from pleased, especially with the uncertainty surrounding his participation in the impending qualifying session.
Ryan Blaney Gets Green Light for Las Vegas Qualifying, Race
When asked about the bizarre incident, Blaney placed his bet on a possible tire blowout.
“I’m not sure. Honestly, I don’t know. It ran 18, 20 laps or something like that. Yeah, no problem. I’ll have to look at the tire and see. I’m just curious,” he said.
Ryan Blaney said he didn’t know if he ran over something or what happened to the tire. pic.twitter.com/hR6KVXr9qn
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 15, 2025
Interestingly enough, despite a post-wreck inspection, the No. 12 crew still couldn’t determine what caused Blaney’s wreck.
Nevertheless, No. 12 Team Penske crew chief Jonathan Hassler brought some positive news soon after. Hassler revealed that the damage was repairable, ruling out the need for a backup car.
Speaking to reporter Wendy Venturini, Blaney’s crew chief reckoned he was relieved the crash happened during practice and not the race: “Unfortunate it happened, but happy it happened in practice and not the race. I think some of our setup parameters didn’t help, but we’ll be fine on Sunday, [March 16, for the Pennzoil 400].”
By the looks of it, Blaney’s Ford Mustang will receive a new rear bumper and a diffuser before returning to the track for qualifying. Overall, Blaney’s trip into the wall may seem like a minor setback, but the fact that he managed to limit the damage to the back of his car proves to be a blessing in disguise.
Will Blaney recover from this wreck and pull off a solid finish to his weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?