Ryan Blaney Kansas backup car plans became necessary when he suffered a blown tire during Cup Series practice at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, forcing him to switch to a reserve vehicle and start at the rear for Sunday’s event. The accident follows his recent win at New Hampshire, putting added pressure on the Team Penske driver as the weekend unfolds.
Details Emerge After Tire Failure Disrupts Practice
Coming off a victory at New Hampshire, Blaney was looking to maintain momentum in Kansas when his No. 12 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang Dark Horse suddenly lost a tire, resulting in significant damage.
“We blew a tire, so we’ll have to look at it and see why that was. I hate that we crashed a race car and stuff like that, but we’ll take a peek at what we need to do differently and hopefully come from the back tomorrow. I’m looking forward to getting the race going tomorrow.”
– Ryan Blaney, Driver
The issue appeared without warning as Blaney noted he did not feel any abnormal handling in the car leading up to the incident.
“Not really. I wouldn’t say I really had any feel of something kind of off until right before it went, honestly. It kind of had that normal feeling to it until it blew. That’s kind of the hard thing about when you blow tires like that. They don’t feel way off and then they just kind of give out the next moment, so I didn’t have any kind of caution beforehand. It’s just unfortunate. I hate that we’ve got to get a backup out and do all that deal, but we’ll fight through it. Like I said, I’m just looking to getting out there tomorrow and see what we’ve got.”
– Ryan Blaney, Driver
What the Setback Means For Sunday’s Race
This setback requires Blaney to start at the back of the pack, an extra hurdle after a successful outing with Team Penske last weekend. The Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang crew now faces the challenge of quickly setting up the backup car, with little time to adjust before the green flag drops at Kansas Speedway. NASCAR fans and competitors will watch closely to see if Blaney and his team can recover from this adversity and contend from the rear of the field, as definitive answers about the cause of the tire failure are still pending. The incident puts the spotlight on tire reliability and race preparedness heading into an intense Cup Series showdown.