Almost Snapping of Ryan Blaney’s Wrist, Did NASCAR Take a Step Back in Safety With the Next Gen Car?

NASCAR has been a leader in driver safety in the last two decades. Ever since the tragic 2001 Daytona 500, the sanctioning body amped up its efforts to protect its drivers. The most recent development in NASCAR vehicles is the introduction of the Next Gen or the Gen-7 cars. With every generation of Cup Series cars proving to be more durable and rugged than their predecessors, the Next Gen car promised to continue on the same path. However, Ryan Blaney‘s observations from the ‘Big One’ at the recently concluded Daytona 500 suggest otherwise.

In the post-race press conference, Ryan Blaney was questioned about potentially injuring his wrist in the crash that wrecked almost half of the grid. While the defending Cup Series champion confirmed that it was nothing of much concern, it is an aspect of the car that NASCAR might need to address soon.

Ryan Blaney’s accident highlighted the steering wheel problems in NextGen cars

When the #12 Ford got collected by the multi-car crash, it slid into the wall with its steering wheel spinning uncontrollably. Describing his experience of the incident, Blaney claimed, “I usually get my hands off the wheel, but I didn’t think I needed to and then it caught something and spun it weird, but it just tweaked it a little bit. It’s all good.”

In all honesty, the problem is an unexpected development. The Next Gen cars have proved their strength many times in recent history. Ryan Preece‘s crash in last year’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 is one of the most suitable examples of the same. Ryan Blaney was also among the cars that were collected during Preece’s violent flip and endured 70-Gs in the #12 Ford. However, the Team Penske driver came out of it uninjured.

In an interview after the Bluegreen Vacations Duel, Blaney revealed that his crash with Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch put the car through 55-Gs. Evidently, the Next Gen car has had a defect with some of its latest upgrades. Doubling down on that opinion, Bubba Wallace revealed on Door Bumper Clear, “You have to be careful. I don’t know if I had any close calls. It’s just a different feel with this Next-Gen car.”

Kevin Harvick has also touted the current version of the Gen-7 car as the ‘most violent with the wheel’. With the most experienced drivers shedding light on the steering problems, NASCAR could have a deeper look into the issue. With precise simulations of race incidents at its disposal, NASCAR can pinpoint the problem and eradicate it.

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The misfunctioning steering wheel was uncharacteristic and certainly surprised Ryan Blaney. Having been a part of multiple severe crashes in the past year, the 30-year-old must be grateful to the Next Gen car.

Blaney has previously commended the Next Gen car’s durability previously

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In mid-2023, NASCAR decided to soften its front clip so that it reduced the impact of a collision. With 70-Gs being applied to the #12 Ford, Ryan Blaney’s crash in the August race at Daytona could have been fatal. Fortunately, that isn’t the case. Praising NASCAR for the changes, he said, “After this one, I think some of the circumstances involved in it helped.”

My body felt more sore after this one than my head. That was good. I think the front clip updates were definitely [what] helped me. Obviously, hitting a SAFER barrier wall was positive, but I think the front clip updates were huge. I think if those weren’t in, and we wrecked at Daytona, I feel like it would have been a lot worse. For sure,” he added.

Ryan Blaney had crashed in an even worse manner in Nashville earlier. Considering concrete barrier crashes are exponentially more risky than SAFER barrier collisions, the Next Gen car did well to protect its drivers. Considering his positive feedback on NASCAR’s plans to bolster the car’s safety, Blaney will look forward to NASCAR’s analysis of the steering wheel.

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