NASCAR insider suggests Ryan Blaney still has path to championship despite Las Vegas wreck

Ryan Blaney had a brutal showing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this past weekend. The former NASCAR Cup Series champion was caught up in a wreck that ended his afternoon early — a devastating blow to his playoff hopes with just two races remaining before the Championship 4 field is set.

While the crash left Blaney sitting deep in the point standings, there’s still optimism about his chances to rebound. On the latest episode of The Teardown, Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic broke down Blaney’s situation and explained why he still sees a clear path to Phoenix for the No. 12 Ford wheelman.

“New Hampshire had a different tire this year. Ryan Blaney was really fast there — same kind of short-track setup,” Bianchi said. “I’m going to take the guy — doesn’t matter the tire compound — who’s won the last two races at Martinsville and feel pretty confident about that. I’m going to go ahead and say he’s the favorite there.”

“And if we’re talking about tires and potential issues with tires — what’s the best asset that Ryan Blaney brings as a race car driver? He is very, very good on long green-flag runs. And you need to be good on long green-flag runs at Martinsville,” Bianchi continued. “So maybe it’s a different tire compound, maybe it’s different conditions, but I still expect that the 12 car is going to be the driver to beat at Martinsville.

“We’ll see what happens at Phoenix — it’ll be interesting. But if you’re a Ryan Blaney fan, I wouldn’t hit the panic button yet. I still feel like there’s a clear path to get to Phoenix without freaking out over these next two weeks. Yeah, it’s going to be a little hairy, but remember — he went to Martinsville last year just a week after coughing up the lead at Homestead, a race he should’ve won, and bounced right back to take the victory. So I still think Blaney’s in a really good spot.”

Over the past two seasons, Blaney has proven he can rise when the pressure is highest. He’s been especially clutch with his back against the wall — and Martinsville has become one of his top venues. If the No. 12 team can execute there again, Blaney could very well keep his championship hopes alive.

Whether or not he’s able to will be seen in short order. One thing is for sure, the Team Penske star isn’t dead in the water yet, no matter how buried he is in the standings.