In Duel #2, Blaney was battling for fourth place on monitor when all of it went fallacious. There have been 14 laps to go within the 60-lap race when Blaney tried to make a move on Byron, who blocked. Blaney then darted beneath the Hendrick Motorsports driver, however they’d each misplaced momentum within the trade.
Kyle Busch was closing in on Byron quick via the tri-oval, main the skin lane. He tried to raise, however couldn’t do a lot as Brad Keselowski was glued to his again bumper.
Byron spun, hooking Blaney, who then slammed the skin wall almost head-on. A number of vehicles have been collected within the ensuing melee. Fireplace erupted from below the hood of the No. 12 Staff Penske Ford, however Blaney was unhurt.
“I am getting fairly sick of it”
“I’m OK,” he mentioned after being launched from the infield care middle. “By the replay it simply seems to be like terrible pushes in horrible spots. That’s often how these wrecks occur. 3 times in a row right here I’ve been right-reared by another person’s terrible push, so I’m getting fairly sick of it. Individuals simply must be sensible. I don’t know what you’re doing. It’s a Duel race. Why are you shoving within the tri-oval? I don’t get it, so only a disgrace we’ve got to be the one with a tore up race automotive when it’s another person’s difficulty. I don’t know.”
He then added: “I’m doing nearly as good as I could be from getting hooked 3 times in a row right here.”
Blaney was aggravated, and understandably so. He has confronted a head-on influence in every of the final three Cup races at Daytona. Final February, he crashed in Turns 1/2 on the ultimate lap of the Daytona 500, and slammed the wall head-on in Turns 3/4 on the finish of a stage through the August Daytona race.
Fortunately, he walked away from all three incidents. However he should go to a backup automotive for his tenth begin in Daytona 500 this weekend.
“I can’t management it, but it surely comes from terrible pushes by folks,” continued Blaney, reflecting extra on the crash. “I imply, 3 times right here in a row terrible pushes have led me to getting right-reared and it’s simply guys not being sensible, not understanding when to get off someone. You can not push within the nook that arduous within the tri-oval. I don’t know when guys are gonna get it.
“I’m sick of paying the expense of it and getting right-reared from somebody’s dumb push, so it’s simply irritating as a result of we do every thing proper after which you will have guys who’re simply careless and simply shove guys till they don’t know when to allow them to go and it causes wrecks and I appear to be the byproduct of getting hooked within the right-rear which is rarely enjoyable.”
Busch, who discovered himself on the epicenter of the incident, gave his perspective on what transpired.
“I used to be simply getting a push from the No. 6 [Keselowski] there, and the No. 24 [William Byron]. I noticed they form of bought tousled, out of line and slowed down. I attempted to raise and roll out of the gasoline easily. I used to be nonetheless gaining too quick, after which I bought all the way in which out of the gasoline. Acquired bumped once more from behind and simply accordion-ed into the No. 24 and despatched him spinning. You don’t need to hit a man within the tri-oval. I’ve been there, I’ve performed that. I’ve additionally rolled out of right here in an ambulance earlier than doing that, so I do know it’s not the precise factor to do, however generally you don’t have a alternative and I turned the No. 24 sideways and brought about a wreck.”
