NASCAR
Ryan Blaney Enters the Charlotte Roval Playoff Elimination Race in Precarious Position
This weekend the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series makes its first ever start at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. With this being the case it means that this race is a complete wildcard for the teams. While good for the fans, a wildcard isn’t good for teams that are in the Playoffs. Especially those who are below or just above the cut line for the Round of 12. One of the drivers just above the cut line and in desperate need of a good showing this weekend is Ryan Blaney.
Through the first 2 rounds of the Playoffs, we have gotten a 2-race summary of the young drivers 2018 season. So far this year, Blaney has shown speed for much of the season. Which was the case in the Playoff opener at Las Vegas where he finished in 5th. However, there have been points this season where the #12 team is unable to find speed in their car. This is something that was seen at Richmond this past week where Ryan ended the day in 19th. That race last weekend is the reason in which Blaney is in the position he currently is. Sitting just 4 points above the cutoff, Blaney needs a good showing at the Charlotte Roval.
Blaney’s Inconsistency at Road Courses
The location of this weekend’s race is less-than-ideal for Blaney, who is in need of a good finish. Throughout his career, Blaney has been inconsistent on road courses. In 6 career road course starts, Blaney has 3 top 12 finishes with a best finish of 8th. He also has three finishes of 19th or worse in his career. However, two of these finishes are the result of power steering issues at Sonoma in 2016 and 2018. So it may be unfair to judge those performances, but that is a part of racing. With his inconsistent showings throughout the 2018 season, it is safe to say that the #12 team will be holding their breath until the checkered flag flies on Sunday. When they finally do breath, it will either be a sigh of relief or heartbreak.
