NASCAR issues statement in response to Ryan Blaney calling out lack of SAFER barriers

NASCAR has released a statement following Ryan Blaney’s controversial wreck Sunday night at Nashville.

During Stage 2 of the Ally 400, the Penske Racing wheelman slammed into a wall that was a non-SAFER barrier, and he was livid afterward. Blaney took it so far as to say he would pay for the wall to be installed in the area he wrecked. While NASCAR has worked on safety improvements, things aren’t perfect by any means. 

When Ryan Blaney’s car hit the wall, it was destroyed. NASCAR has made the front end more susceptible to this kind of crumple. That said, removing parts of the front clip has led to the car absorbing the hits more than the driver, which is a good thing. 

That didn’t really help Blaney in this case, since he hit a non-SAFER barrier wall. After he was released from the care center, the Team Penske driver said “I’ll pay for the f***ing thing.”

Of course, NASCAR never wants that kind of publicity, or for their drivers to feel like the track they’re racing on is unsafe, so they released a statement on the matter after the race concluded.

NASCAR statement on Blaney hitting wall with no SAFER: “NASCAR safety engineers work closely with safety experts on the implementation of barriers around the track. As we do following every race weekend, we will evaluate all available data and make any necessary improvements.”

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 26, 2023

“NASCAR safety engineers work closely with safety experts on the implementation of barriers around the track,” NASCAR’s statement read, via FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass. “As we do following every race weekend, we will evaluate all available data and make any necessary improvements.”

That sound like there’s going to be some changes at Nashville in 2024. We’re willing to bet Blaney won’t have to pay for it either, despite his best efforts.

Regardless, the NASCAR world is simply thankful Ryan Blaney is alright after his scary collision, and the rest of Sunday’s race was smooth sailing throughout.

More on Ryan Blaney, Ally 400 

Before Ryan Blaney DNFd out of the race, he had a top-10 car — possibly better. The No. 12 Ford Mustang never got to the nighttime portion of the race. So, there is no way to know if he and his team could have changed things. 

Ryan Blaney is one of the most well-liked drivers in the Cup Series. If he’s upset about this, others will be as well. That includes fans and drivers alike. This was a moment that could have been worse if one or two things went differently. 

Ever before Richard Petty hit the inside wall at Darlington in 1970, safety issues with barriers and walls have been prevalent. Things change and get better, but there is always room for improvement. 

Let’s hope Ryan Blaney is good to go for next week’s race at Chicago. It would be a shame for the driver to miss such a historic event due to a wreck like this. If it wasn’t for that Coca-Cola 600 win, it would be panic mode for Blaney and his team at this point in the season. The good news is they are locked into the playoffs.

On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this article.