Ryan Blaney gets frustrated with Bubba Wallace after hitting the wall during Ally 400
Although they are friends off the rack, Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace aren’t giving each other any slack on the track. During the Ally 400 in the first stage, Blaney tried to make a pass on Wallace and the 23 decided not to lift at all. That forced the Team Penske NASCAR driver into the wall for a second at Nashville Superspeedway.
This concrete track is already giving drivers fits. The Tennessee sun is also causing their tempers to rise it seems. Ryan Blaney tried to get around Bubba Wallace who was falling back in the field from his P9 starting position.
With a faster car and their relationship off the track, it seems Blaney thought Wallace was going to give up that outside lane for the 12. He did not. Wallace held on strong and did his best to make it a race for the top-10 position.
This is a tough case. Bubba doesn’t have to give up that space on the track. And Ryan Blaney isn’t wrong for thinking he could get into that gap. At any rate, Blaney didn’t take to kindly to this move and it might come back around later in the race. Something to keep an eye on.
Bubba Wallace falls out of top-20 early in Ally 400
As the field came to green flag stops during Stage 1, Bubba Wallace had fallen from P9 at the start to P21 as he entered pit road. The 23 started to fall back and quickly after Blaney passed him and knocked him out of the top-10.
Multiple drivers throughout the field during the Ally 400 have noted their cars are tight. Even pole sitter Ross Chastain complained about being tight, “3 out of 5” he said to his crew. He would soon fall back to second in his battle with Tyler Reddick in the 45.
As for Bubba Wallace, it appeared that he might have fixed what was wrong with his car. However, he soon fell back out of the top 20 as he raced alongside Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Austin Dillon. Toyota seems to have a good thing going with Reddick, Martin Truex Jr., and Denny Hamlin though as they continue to battle in the top-5 and top-10 of the race.
Blaney did not remain in the top-10 after the pit stops. He was fighting for a top-15 position with 12 to go in Stage 1.