Skip to main content
Join Now
NASCAR Logo

Ryan Blaney calls out No. 12 team at Darlington after another pit road mistake: 'We cannot do this'

Meby: Nick Geddes6 hours agoNickGeddesNews

Ryan Blaney has a fast car at Darlington Raceway, finishing third in Stage 1 of Sunday’s race. He now finds himself stuck in the middle of the pack after an issue on pit road.

Blaney and the rest of the field made pit stops ahead of Stage 2. His No. 12 pit crew had an issue dealing with the left side, with Blaney having a loose lug nut. Blaney knew it immediately after leaving his pit stall, and he pulled into Team Penske teammate Austin Cindric‘s box to get it tightened.

As a result, Blaney had to begin Stage 2 from the tail end of the lead lap (20th). Blaney, understandably, was upset on the radio and called out his team.

“Come on, guys. We gotta be cleaner than that. We just cannot do this,” Blaney said. “We’ve got to clean it up. We cannot afford to make mistakes like this.”

Ryan Blaney pit road problems continue at Darlington

No, they can’t, though it’s been a recurring theme this season. Blaney has now had three loose wheels in the last three races. His pit crew ranks 33rd of 36 full-time teams.

That’s not gonna cut it, especially at Darlington, where track position is everything. Blaney will now have to race his way through the field, a tall task.

On most race days, Blaney is the top performing Ford. That is not the story through a stage-and-a-half at Darlington. RFK Racing is currently dominating, with Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher, and Ryan Preece running first, second, and third, respectively.

Plenty of race remains for Blaney to get back in contention. A good pit stop could be the key to getting back in the mix. We’ll see if the No. 12 team has it in them to execute.