NASCAR Insider Calls for Rule Change After Ryan Blaney Controversy at Watkins Glen
A recent NASCAR Cup Series race sparked debate over the sport’s rules when Ryan Blaney found himself sidelined after a Lap 1 wreck. Blaney’s frustration stemmed from NASCAR’s decision to tow his car off the track without allowing his team a chance to assess and repair the damage.
While Blaney admitted his car was likely wrecked beyond repair, he argued that his team should have been given the opportunity to at least attempt to fix it.
The incident unfolded when Blaney’s car was towed following the wreck, with officials deeming it undriveable. Blaney, however, pointed out that drivers with flat tires are often towed to pit lane and given a chance to continue.
He questioned why the same leniency wasn’t extended to him in this situation. The ruling left Blaney, a driver for Team Penske, openly frustrated.
After the race, NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass weighed in on the controversy during his “Fast Thoughts” segment on FOX Sports. While he acknowledged that NASCAR had followed its rules correctly, he suggested that the rule itself might need reevaluation, particularly for high-stakes situations like the playoffs.
“Did Ryan Blaney get the raw end of a NASCAR rule? No,” Pockrass explained. “NASCAR made the right ruling. His car was stopped on the track after a crash, and he’s out of the race. But is that the way it should be? No, it shouldn’t be that way. Especially in the playoffs.”
Pockrass played devil’s advocate, acknowledging that Blaney could have avoided the situation by qualifying better, but he also expressed sympathy for the driver’s plight. He noted that this wasn’t the first time a driver had been negatively impacted by this rule, referencing a similar incident involving Martin Truex Jr. in the past.
“This stunk for him, and I’m not big on saying, ‘Let’s change the rules’ because of one incident,” Pockrass said. “But in this case, maybe NASCAR should at least look at the car and see if it’s fixable.”
One concern raised by critics of a rule change is that allowing damaged cars to be towed back to pit road for repairs could lead to dangerous situations where parts fall off and cause additional cautions. However, Pockrass pointed out that playoff drivers are already capable of causing cautions on their own, as demonstrated in this race.
The suggestion on the table is a potential revision of NASCAR’s Damaged Vehicle Policy, at least for playoff races. The idea is that teams should be given a set amount of time—six, seven, or eight minutes, depending on the track—to assess and repair their cars, even if they have to be towed off the track. This change would give teams a fighting chance to stay in the race after an early crash, especially in high-stakes playoff rounds.
While Blaney admitted his car was likely too damaged to continue, he maintained that he should have had the chance to attempt repairs. His frustration was less about the outcome and more about the lack of opportunity to get back in the race.
As the debate continues, the question remains: should NASCAR reconsider its rules to provide teams with more flexibility in these situations?
While some argue that the current rules are sufficient, others, like Pockrass, believe that a reevaluation may be necessary, particularly in the context of playoff races where every point counts.
