Ryan Blaney’s practice session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway did not go the way he needed it to. A wipeout during the qualifier at Las Vegas puts him in a difficult spot in for these playoffs. After the round of 12 concluded at the Roval, he was 5th in the playoff picture, and that put him under the bubble by 4 points. Now, with the fact that he will have a difficult start to the race, his championship defense could be slipping away.

Blaney found himself into a wall on the driver’s side, and that must have been a hard hit. Unsurprisingly, this isn’t the first time Blaney has crashed into a wall with this car. In 2023, Blaney suffered concussion-like symptoms after a similar crash at the Nashville Superspeedway which saw him rushed to the hospital. He described the Nashville incident as “by far the hardest hit I’ve ever taken.” The Penske No. 12 found himself in a similar situation during the 2024 Daytona 500 qualifying in a crash that was reportedly 55Gs. When his radio message from Vegas surfaced online, it brought together fans as they hoped for Blaney’s safety.

Implications of Ryan Blaney’s Crash at Las Vegas

During what should have been a routine run, Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford slammed into the Turn 1 retaining wall after a sudden flat tire sent the car spinning uncontrollably. As reported by Toby Christie on X, Blaney immediately radioed his team, “I had no warning; my head hurts. I had no warning, man. Sorry.”

The accident will force him to start from the back of the field in a backup car, a tough blow in a race that kicks off the three-race Round of 8. Blaney’s position in the playoffs is already delicate, sitting just four points below the bubble. With such a narrow gap, every moment on the track counts, and there’s little room for error if he hopes to stay in contention for the championship. As the defending Cup Series champion, the expectations for Ryan Blaney are high, and this crash could not have come at a worse time.

The 2024 season has been a rollercoaster for the Penske No. 12. While he’s had a mostly strong playoff run, consistently finishing in the top 10, his luck seems to be turning at an important moment. Apart from disappointing DNFs at Watkins Glen and Talladega, he has had a consistent run with 4 top-10 runs in 6 races. But now, with a crash, he has a huge setback to deal with in his playoff standings.

The message from Blaney’s radio had his fans concerned about his safety. So when they saw the news on X, the comments section started filling up with caring fans who were worried about the driver’s safety.

Ryan Blaney has his fans worried after the Las Vegas playoff qualifier

Fans are definitely on edge after Ryan Blaney’s recent crash in Las Vegas. One commenter shared, “Hoping Blaney’s okay. Haven’t heard it yet, but apparently he didn’t sound well at all over the radio. Not good.” The fan is worried about Blaney, as an accident at high speeds is never a joke. They hope that he is okay after the collision with the wall, as that does shake a driver up. Blaney does have a history of concussion injuries which makes this all the more concerning.

After catching a glimpse of his interview following the crash, another fan pointed out, “He seemed ‘off’ in his interview. I hope someone takes a second look at him.” It’s clear they’re concerned about his well-being, and they’re hoping his team is keeping a close eye on him, too. The fan believes that there is more than meets the eye in Ryan Blaney’s situation, and from the fan’s perspective, the Penske driver is not doing okay.

The topic of safety is weighing heavily on the minds of fans, with one voicing, “Starting to get concerned for him for the amount of hard hits he’s taking; hopefully this doesn’t turn into a Dale Jr. situation and he has to retire early because of safety issues with the car.” That comparison to Dale Earnhardt Jr. strikes a nerve. Earnhardt Jr suffered so many concussion injuries that it forced his hand into retirement in 2017. Nobody wants to see Blaney face the same fate after all the hard work he’s put into his racing career, especially being the defending champion this year.

As fans speculated on what might happen next, someone raised an important question: “Who would step in if he was unfit to race, you think?” It’s a tough spot for Team Penske if Blaney can’t race. Fans know how NASCAR works, and before any announcement is made, they are curious to know if the team has a backup driver. No announcement has been made from Penske or NASCAR so far, leaving everyone with bated breath.

Overall, the mood is definitely “very concerning,” as one fan put it. Everyone is praying for Blaney hoping for the best. Blaney has a solid fanbase who genuinely cares about his health and racing future, and it’s clear that they’re not just invested in his performance but in his safety as well.

That being said, how much will the qualifiers matter in tomorrow’s race, and do you think that Blaney can recover from there?