LAS VEGAS — Ryan Blaney went for a spin during Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series practice at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, creating a significant setback for the No. 12 Team Penske operation.
Blaney incurred a flat right-rear tire exiting Turn 2, sending his Ford Dark Horse Mustang into a slide and backing the rear of the car into the outside SAFER barrier. The 2023 Cup champion was evaluated and released from the infield care center. The team plans to repair the primary car that crashed rather than opting for a backup vehicle but didn’t post a qualifying lap.
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The tire failure came as a surprise to Blaney, who was unsure whether he ran over debris or if the tire was blown for another reason.
“It ran 18, 20 laps or something like that, so I thought it was no problem,” Blaney said. “So yeah, I don’t know. We’ll have to look at the tire and see.”
Blaney affirmed he felt OK upon leaving the care center but was quick to add: “I hate blowing tires.”
Crew chief Jonathan Hassler told Performance Racing Network Radio that he doesn’t believe Blaney ran over debris.
“Unfortunate it happened, but happy it happened in practice and not the race,” Hassler told PRN. “I think some of our setup parameters didn’t help, but we’ll be fine on Sunday.”
Like last fall, the No. 12 car will need to start Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 from the rear of the field. The team was faced with similar challenges when the Cup Series raced at Vegas in October, when Blaney suffered a flat left-rear tire and spun into the SAFER barrier in Turns 1 and 2, necessitating a backup car.
“Unfortunately, same problem, a blown tire in practice,” Blaney said. “I thought our car was really good before that. Just an unfortunate part of it, but they (the team) have got a lot of work cut out for them.”
Despite the setback, Blaney maintains full confidence in his group and how they respond to complications.
“They respond well. It’s something I’m really proud of them responding well from adversity or unfortunate things happening,” Blaney said. “So I’m sure we’ll bounce back from it like we always do.”
Within 40 minutes of the incident, the team determined it would be replacing both the rear bumper and the diffuser on the primary car while work continued in the Las Vegas garage. The Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube is set for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.