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NASCAR’s Best & Worst Weekend Ever: Phoenix Edition

By Christopher Olmstead

Mar 19, 2017; Avondale, AZ, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Lagano (22), Kyle Larson (22) and Jamie McMurray (1) during the Camping World 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2017; Avondale, AZ, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Lagano (22), Kyle Larson (22) and Jamie McMurray (1) during the Camping World 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 23, 2017; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (21) during the Can-Am Duel At Daytona 2 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2017; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (21) during the Can-Am Duel At Daytona 2 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /

Bad Weekend – Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney qualified second for the race on Sunday and after his fast start this season many expected another strong run in Phoenix. From the drop of the green flag things were a struggle for Blaney and the No. 21 team.

Blaney immediately dropped out of the top-five but was able to hover around the top-10 for the majority of the race. However, late in the race Blaney was hit with a speeding penalty on pit road, which forced him to the back of the pack. With so many cars being on the lead lap, Blaney wasn’t able to get back to the front of the pack and ended up finishing outside of the top-20.

Blaney’s 23rd-place finish is the worst of the season but shouldn’t be cause for too much concern. If not for the speeding penalty, Blaney most likely would have had a top-15 finish. The bigger concern for the No. 21team is whether or not they can avoid hiccups like this for the remainder of the season. Blaney had a solid season in 2016 but lacked consistency due to mistakes similar to what we saw Sunday. Hopefully this is a blip and not a pattern.

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