2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney has made an unfortunate habit of getting caught in recent massive wrecks at Daytona and Talladega. In Thursday night’s duel race at Daytona, Blaney once again got caught in a field-sweeping crash started by someone else and hooked hard into the outside wall. His car then caught fire, leading to an intense on-board as Blaney rode out the crash.
Footage from the camera shows Blaney’s focus suddenly shifting from watching traffic around him to watching for an impending hit with the outside wall. He tries to save the car, then takes his hand off the wheel before an inevitable impact snaps it in another direction. From there, he is just left along for the ride as he watches for every other impact that follows. Flames from the fire underneath the hood burn intensely enough to cast light on Blaney’s face through his helmet.
Once a car is caught up in a crash during a pack race, all a driver can do is try to slow down more quickly as their car spins to a halt. Blaney lost any real ability to control the car immediately after the first impact, a hit that destroyed his planned primary car for the Daytona 500.
The reigning champion got out under his own power shortly after the still-burning car slid to a halt and appeared to escape uninjured. His team has already switched to a backup car and will spend the next two days of practice sessions preparing to race that car in NASCAR’s marquee event.
