The introduction of next-gen cars has sparked extensive discussions regarding safety, as drivers have been increasingly vocal about the challenges they face. Despite NASCAR’s ongoing efforts to protect the drivers, another unfortunate incident occurred, this time involving Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney. However, this time, it wasn’t all the next-gen car’s fault.
Blaney, who had a competitive car and showcased his speed by breaking a long winless streak at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, had hoped to continue his success later in the season. But, his aspirations were cut short due to a brutal wreck at Ally 400 when we crashed into the inside wall that didn’t have a SAFER barrier. Following the crash, Team Penske took a stand for safety and urged NASCAR’s governing bodies to make further improvements in this area.
Ryan Blaney Has Some Bold Words for NASCAR and Their Safety
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The majority of tracks have SAFER barriers installed along their walls, and this includes the entire Nashville track, except for the specific corner where Blaney had his accident. The absence of SAFER barriers in that particular spot raises the question: Why they were not installed there?
Blaney, after his crash with Kyle Busch, himself expressed his demand for the installation of SAFER barriers. In an interview with Dustin Long, Blaney voiced his frustration, saying, “I am absolutely on it after this. It s*cks that things like this have to happen, someone to hit the wall like that. Oh, we will put a safe barrier now, then why are not doing it the whole track? I will pay for the fu*king thing.”
#NASCAR … I asked Ryan Blaney if he would talk to track officials about hitting a concrete wall instead of a SAFER barrier, he said: “I’ll pay for the F—— thing.” pic.twitter.com/Dr45CltMWV
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) June 26, 2023
Blaney further said, “I don’t know why there’s no SAFER barrier there. That’s pretty ridiculous, honestly. Hardest hit I’ve ever had in my life. Happy to be all right, but it sucks for the Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Stinks to go home early”
"Hardest hit I've ever had of my life."
Hear from Ryan @Blaney. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/ZgsJBop8v7
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 26, 2023
Although the impact was nasty, it was good to see Blaney okay, giving the interview with a smile. Other than Blaney, the one driver who has closely witnessed the wreck also opened up on the demand Team Penske raised.
Kyle Busch And Chase Elliott Reasonably Dismissed the Claim Raised by Blaney and the Team
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In response to Blaney’s demand for barriers to be installed throughout the entire track, Kyle Busch shed light on the matter during an interview with Frontstretch.
Rowdy Busch stated, “We’ve all worked in and tried ourselves on safety and we’ve tried to tell just it doesn’t matter where you can never cut corners and take a chance on that so, lot of race tracks that put it all the way around the infield. Give us a chance we’re gonna be able to figure out a way of hitting something some way or another.”
Kyle Busch emphasized NASCAR is trying its best to improve safety but that drivers always find a way to get wrecked in the strangest of corners. It is surprising coming from Busch as he too was behind Blaney, about to hit the wall.
Kyle continued, “Yeah, it’s money, right? And sometimes it’s oversight but I think those are probably the two biggest things that come down to why things do or don’t get done.”
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Chase Elliott also resonated with Busch and said, “I feel like they do a pretty good job generally of getting safer barriers up in all the places that they can so sound like they need to add a spot, unfortunately, it seems like we always find a way to find that one area that is exposed.”
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