NASCAR Insider Says Ryan Blaney’s Own Radio Proves Bristol Wreck Was His Fault
· Yahoo Sports
A NASCAR insider says the answer to the Bristol wreck between Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar is sitting on Blaney’s own radio. PRN Live pit reporter Andrew Kurland listened to the No. 12 spotter channel as the crash happened, and he came away with a blunt five-word verdict. Kurland said the wreck was Ryan Blaney’s fault.
Kurland said spotter Tim Fedewa warned Blaney that Hocevar was there.
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“So I was covering Ryan Blaney on Saturday night, and I was listening to his spotter radio as that moment happened, and a spotter, Tim Fedewa, said, ‘Inside, inside, inside.’ And then that’s when Blaney was spun and sent into the SAFER barrier.”
That call is the heart of his argument. Kurland said Blaney moved down the track while his spotter was telling him a car was already there.
“I have to call a spade a spade. I truly do feel like it was Ryan Blaney’s fault. I don’t think he was clear. I think he moved to the inside when his spotter was saying inside.”
The contact came on Lap 457 of 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Blaney had just passed Hocevar for second place, then moved down to block his line. Hocevar did not lift, and the contact sent Blaney into the outside wall in Turn 1.
Blaney’s Ford was too damaged to continue. The two drivers then traded punches on pit road after the race, which is the part of the night most fans have argued about since. The fight has dominated motorsports coverage all week.
Kurland is not the only one putting this on Blaney. Kevin Harvick said much the same thing on his SPEED podcast this week, arguing that Blaney threw an unnecessary block on a faster car.
Kurland did add context about the wider frustration with Hocevar. He said other drivers had talked openly about standing up to Hocevar, and that Blaney became the one who finally did it. That view does not change his read on the crash itself.
What the Crash Cost Ryan Blaney
The bigger problem for Blaney is what the wreck did to his title run. He came to Bristol fourth in the standings and 33 points behind Denny Hamlin. He left it sixth and 52 points behind new series leader Kyle Larson.
It was also his second straight DNF. A brake rotor exploded through the hood of his Team Penske Ford at World Wide Technology Raceway on Sept. 13, which left him with a 35th-place finish. He was running sixth at the time.
Blaney has been fast through both races. He led a race-high 202 laps at Bristol and was running inside the top 10 at Gateway. He has just not been able to finish, and the points reflect it.
Seven races remain before the title is decided at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Chase field heads to Kansas Speedway next, where Blaney will try to stop the slide. Hocevar, who finished third at Bristol, sits eighth in the standings.