Despite Saying “I’m Sorry,” Michael McDowell Remains Unapologetic After Raining on Ryan Blaney’s Parade in New Hampshire

On-track drama, unpredictable weather, and tire controversy. The NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway had it all. Reigning champion Ryan Blaney, who was on a hunt to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season, was foiled by Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell after late-race contact between them cost both drivers solid finishes at USA Today 301. Instead of finishing in the top 5, Blaney was forced to settle for P25, which would have felt like a kick to the gut for the 30-year-old.

Despite receiving an apology from Michael McDowell after the race, the 39-year-old’s choice of words made it seem like he did what needed to be done, even though it didn’t pay off for either of the drivers.

Late drama in rain-affected New Hampshire

With nine laps remaining in regulation and driving with a fresh set of wet-weather tires, Michael McDowell was going to be aggressive from the restart. He sent his No. 34 Ford Mustang deep into Turn 1, prompting his car to slide up on Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang. As a result, both cars spun on the track and lost their track positions. While McDowell may have felt that the move was ‘aggressive’, the word ‘reckless’ would be more appropriate to describe the incident. Especially considering that McDowell finished 15th while Blaney was relegated to 25th place.

Speaking to Frontstretch after the race, Ryan Blaney revealed that Michael McDowell said, “I’m sorry.” However, the post-race comments by Michael McDowell indicated that, despite apologizing, the 39-year-old felt justified in what he did. Speaking to Bob Pockrass, Michael McDowell even said, “I was in a do-or-die situation and I had to go for it. I know it was a low-percentage move, but I had to try.

“All the guys that went to the bottom, in one and two on those restarts got freight-trained. I knew I had to enter in the middle and I just got my left side on the wet paint and it just kind of took off. I hated it for Blaney and I know it ruined his day. Ruined my day too. I hate it for Blaney. I know it ruined his day, it ruined my day too and I apologized to those guys for that.”

In some ways, Michael McDowell’s thought process is justified. He has had a solid year in the NASCAR Cup Series but needs a win to secure the playoff spot. McDowell’s last win came at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year, and the closest he has come since then was finishing 2nd in Sonoma.

While the attempt to overtake Blaney wasn’t a sensible one, Michael McDowell felt that if he were successful, the 39-year-old could compete against Christopher Bell for the win.

Ryan Blaney reacts to the New Hampshire incident

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The work that a driver puts in is not always equal to his position at the end of the race. That’s exactly what happened with Ryan Blaney at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His season so far has had its fair share of highs and lows. After consecutive DNFs, Blaney ran out of fuel at Gateway with just one lap to go. He then finished 7th in Sonoma and went on to win the first race of the season at Iowa. However, he missed out on the opportunity to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season after a collision with Michael McDowell.

Speaking about the incident with NBC, Ryan Blaney said, “I know he’s got to win and all that and that’s his excuse but you have to like calculate, be a little more calculated than that, and just stinks that we’re at the expense of it,” Blaney said. “But man, I thought we had a decent shot to contend. I was happy because we came in, put tires on, made a big adjustment and I was looking forward to kind of restarting behind Bell and seeing if we could have anything for him and just never really got a chance.”

Whether it’s bad luck or a twist of fate, Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang has been good enough to win races for weeks now. He showed enough tenacity to remain in the hunt for a win at New Hampshire until late in the race and could give Christopher Bell a run for his money.

Blaney may have received the short end of the deal at New Hampshire, but the reigning champion will be in the hunt once NASCAR shifts its attention to Nashville next weekend. It could be only a matter of time before Blaney ends up in victory lane again.

Do you think Ryan Blaney will win another race this season? Let us know in the comments!