NASCAR championship contender disqualified after Las Vegas

Ryan Blaney was disqualified after Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a massive blow to his championship hopes.

Following Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series round of 8 playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney was disqualified after it was discovered that the left front shock on his No. 12 Ford didn’t meet the overall specified length.

Blaney’s afternoon was solid but not spectacular. He finished stage one in sixth place to score five points and stage two in eighth to score three before finishing the 267-lap race around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Las Vegas, Nevada oval in sixth to score 31 more.

He scored 39 points overall, but following the disqualification, he was left with just one. The 38 points he lost ended up going to other drivers. Because of the disqualification, he has officially been scored in 36th place throughout the event, not just in the final order.

Everybody who finished behind him in stage one was promoted by one spot, netting five drivers an additional point. Everybody who finished behind him in stage two was promoted by one spot, netting three drivers an additional point. And everybody who finished behind him in the race was promoted by one spot, netting 30 drivers an additional point.

Instead of being 17 points behind the Championship 4 cut line, he sits 56 points behind (not 55 since the cut line moved up a point due to other drivers gaining points).

The driver of the No. 12 Ford is in the round of 8 for the fifth time in his career, but he has never before converted it to a final round appearance.

And avoiding 0-for-5 in NASCAR’s semifinal playoff round just got a whole lot tougher for Ryan Blaney.

Blaney now effectively finds himself in a position where he needs to win either this coming weekend’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway or the round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway two weekends from now in order to advance to the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway for the first time.

His best finish in eight starts at Homestead is third place, and his best finish in 15 starts at Martinsville is second (twice). His best finish in 15 starts at Phoenix is also second (twice).

FanDuel Sportsbook, which is giving fans a guaranteed $200 just for betting $5 on any driver, lists Blaney as the biggest longshot to win this year’s title following his Las Vegas disappointment.

Odds and availability are subject to change, so lock in your $200 now before it’s too late!

Tune in to NBC this Sunday, October 22 at 2:30 p.m. ET for the live broadcast of the middle race of the round of 8, the Dixie Vodka 400, from Homestead-Miami Speedway. If you have not yet had the chance to start a free trial of FuboTV, do so today!