NASCAR has stood by its damaged vehicle policy after Ryan Blaney’s race ended abruptly following an early crash at Watkins Glen International. The incident, triggered by a collision with Brad Keselowski, left Blaney’s car significantly damaged, prompting officials to not allow repairs.
Blaney expressed his frustration, questioning why his team wasn’t given a chance to assess and fix the damage. He stated, “How can they decide if we’re done or not? Just because we couldn’t drive it back to the pit? If you have four flat tires, you get towed back.” He felt the decision was premature, especially since they couldn’t even evaluate the car before it was taken to the garage.
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Describing what happened during the race, Blaney recalled, “I got caught up in a stack-up and broke my steering arm.” He lamented, “It’s frustrating that we’re not even allowed a chance to fix it.”
To clarify the situation, NASCAR Cup Series managing director Brad Moran discussed the policy on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The rule, established in 2017, states that if a car cannot be driven back to the pit stall following an incident, the driver is out for the rest of the race. Moran explained, “If you can’t drive it back, you’re done.” He acknowledged Blaney’s frustration but emphasized the importance of safety and efficiency that led to the policy’s implementation.
“It was unfortunate. I completely understand Blaney’s feelings, but the incident resulted in significant damage to his vehicle,” Moran stated, noting that the policy has been consistently applied since 2017.