BLANEY’S CHARGE TO THE FRONT ENDS IN TALLADEGA CHAOS
October 26, 2026DAMAGE DERAILS BLANEY’S MARTINSVILLE RUN
RACE RUNDOWN
RYAN BLANEY No. 12 DISCOUNT TIRE FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE
START: 13TH
STAGE 1: 13TH
STAGE 2: 32ND
FINISH: 35TH
POINTS: 7TH
Ryan Blaney entered Sunday's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway looking to keep his championship hopes alive, but damage sustained to the No. 12 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse ultimately derailed a promising afternoon and resulted in a 35th-place finish. Seeking his third fall Martinsville victory in the last four seasons, Blaney started the 500-lap race from the 13th position and ran among the top 15 for much of Stage 1. Following a cycle of green-flag pit stops, Blaney ended the opening segment in 13th. A series of cautions early in Stage 2 provided Blaney with an opportunity to work his way forward, as he broke into the top 10 before making contact with another competitor on Lap 252. The incident resulted in significant front-end damage to the No. 12, forcing Blaney to the garage for repairs. The Team Penske crew worked diligently to repair the Mustang Dark Horse, allowing Blaney to return to the track on Lap 310. Despite the setback, Blaney continued to the checkered flag, ultimately finishing 35th. With the result, Blaney was officially eliminated from contention for his second career NASCAR Cup Series championship. He enters next Sunday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway seventh in the points standings, looking to close out the 2026 season on a strong note.
Blaney's Thoughts
"We were definitely getting better. The first stage we weren't great, but that run where (the on-track contact) happened, I thought we finally got pretty good. I was passing some cars and really running kind of the front group down a little bit, so I felt like we made good gains (before the incident)."
