Ryan Blaney’s disqualification from the Round of 16 race at Watkins Glen last Sunday led to significant backlash from the driver. Blaney’s No. 12 Ford encountered a steering issue following a Lap 1 caution, which left him unable to return to his pit stall. Consequently, NASCAR enforced its Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP) and parked Blaney for the remainder of the race.
The DVP, implemented in 2017, mandates that cars needing repairs must be driven back to the pit stall within a 10-minute window. If the car cannot be driven back, it is disqualified from continuing the race. According to Denny Hamlin, this policy was designed as a cost-cutting measure to prevent excessive spending on crash carts and repair parts, while also minimizing risks associated with extensive repairs that might lead to debris on the track or safety hazards.
Hamlin addressed the incident on the “Actions Detrimental” podcast, stating that while he understands Blaney’s frustration, NASCAR adhered strictly to the established rules. He commented:
“I mean, they went by the rules. I’m not saying he’s wrong and NASCAR’s right, I’m just saying they went by the rules. Are the rules fair in that instance? I’m not sure. What they’re trying to avoid is that we were spending as race teams lots of money on crash carts, repair parts.
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“We would have to take these things to the track. And it would have to have essentially a full body components of all the car. And have to bring them to the racetrack. I know they brought up that it’s kind of unsafe, that’s whatever.
“This was a cost-cutting measure as to not have to force us to have to go repair the car. And then send it back out on the racetrack. It can cause a caution from debris or whatever it might be.
“So, it was one of the cost-cutting things that got brought on years ago. By the rule, it’s the right thing. I mean, should we kneejerk reaction just change it because there’s an uproar? Absolutely not.”
Blaney’s incident stemmed from contact with Brad Keselowski at the bus stop, leading to a steering issue that Hamlin believes would have required more than the allowed 10-minute repair window.
“This is a unique situation, and I don’t think they would have gotten it fixed anyway. It seemed like this was a steering issue. And for them to fix this thing, it would have [taken] more [time] than the repair clock because he was in the incident. There was contact.
“So, it didn’t matter and that matters,” Hamlin said. “Had he had something go wrong and they could have fixed it in two minutes, and he’d be back in the race, then there’s more of a legit argument. But the damage he did incur was race ending.”
Blaney’s standings took a hit, as he went from being 33 points above the cutline to just 29 points clear post-race. The inability to continue the race and accumulate more points is a significant setback for his playoff campaign.