Defending Coca-Cola 600 champ Ryan Blaney out with wheel issue
CONCORD, N.C. — A wheel issue in stage two will keep Coca-Cola 600 champion Ryan Blaney from defending his crown Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Blaney broke a right-front wheel going into turn three and slammed the wall. Then, when the team tried getting the tire off to work on it, they couldn’t get it off and Blaney couldn’t even steer the car.
The team ruled themselves out of the race. The situation worsened as Blaney couldn’t drive the car back to the garage. Blaney exited the car as the team tried pushing it back to the garage. After their attempts were unsuccessful, NASCAR sent a tow truck to get his car from pit road to the garage. That prompted a caution as pit road at Charlotte Motor Speedway is not completely protected by a wall separating the pits from the racing surface.
Blaney will finish 39th, out after 143 laps. He will drop to 11th in points with just a 38-point cushion for a playoff spot.
Discover more from The Racing Experts
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com