Ryan Blaney’s night at Nashville Superspeedway ended early Sunday when he crashed hard into the wall on lap 146.
Blaney said he got tapped from behind and could not straighten his car out when he spun into the grass and crashed into the wall near the exit to pit road. He hit the wall head-on into one of the only portions of the track without the SAFER barrier.
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Ryan Blaney races through Turn 2 during the running of the NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 on June 25, 2023, at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“I don’t know why there’s no SAFER barrier there. It’s pretty ridiculous,” he told reporters after the crash. “Hardest hit I’ve ever had in my life. Happy to be all right just sucks for the Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Stinks going home early.”
Blaney went to the infield care center to be checked out and was released. He raised alarm bells after taking the hit as he called for help on the radio once he bounced off the wall.
He said he was sure NASCAR would put the SAFER barrier up after what occurred o his wreck.
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“I’m sure they will put one on it after this,” he told NBC Sports. “It sucks that things like that have to happen and someone hit the wall head on like that. Then they are like we’ll put a SAFER barrier on it now.”
Ryan Blaney looks on prior to the running of the NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 on June 25, 2023, at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASCAR released a statement on the barrier after Blaney’s wreck.
“NASCAR safety engineers work closely with safety experts on the implementation of barriers around the track. As we do following every race weekend, we will evaluate all available data and make any necessary improvements,” NASCAR said, via The Tennessean.
Blaney finished 36th and was the only vehicle that did not finish.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney, #12, is helped after crashing on the first turn during the NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee, Sunday, June 25, 2023. (Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK)
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Ross Chastain picked up the third win of his career.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
