Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney will have to start Sunday afternoon's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from the rear of the field after going to a backup car.
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Blaney crashed during Group B practice at the 1.5-mile Nevada track. His No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang blew a left rear tire, which sent it spinning into the outside wall.
Blaney climbed from the damaged car and underwent evaluation at the infield care center. Team Penske then confirmed that he will go to the backup car for Sunday's Round of 8-opening race.
Another look at the incident. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/5RxG9dmfb6
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"I'm all right," Blaney told NBC Sports after exiting the infield care center. "Just blew a tire into Turn 1 and (it) just stinks. I didn't feel anything odd down the frontstretch.
"It's just a shame that it ended our practice early and we got our work cut out for us with the backup car and all that stuff. Hopefully, we'll be able to fight back from it and go to work tomorrow."
Goodyear told the NBC broadcast crew after the incident that Blaney's tire had a puncture. This means that he had likely run over something on the track instead of having his team go too low on the air pressure.
Regardless of what caused the flat tire, Blaney is now in a hole entering the first race of the Round of 8. He will have to start from the rear of the field and attempt to work his way through the pack to score stage points.
The reigning Cup Series champion needs all the points he can get considering that he enters the penultimate round four points below the elimination line. He is just behind William Byron.
"It'll be a big challenge for multiple reasons, but I feel confident," Blaney said. "Hopefully, we can make our way through there. We've got all race.
"We might not be able to get stage points in the first one, but hopefully by the second one maybe we'll get some stage points and then hopefully the speed is good enough to where we can run up towards the front. Yeah, it sets us back a little bit, but this group is ready to go and they know the new task. It's gonna be a tall one tomorrow, but I've got faith we can make the most of it."
