Bad Luck Strikes Again: Blaney's Dominant Run at Homestead Ends in Engine Failure
Racing misfortune struck Ryan Blaney again at Homestead-Miami Speedway as engine failure ended his dominant run in the Straight Talk Wireless 400.
Race cars competing on racetrack
After leading 124 of the first 165 laps and winning the first stage, Blaney's No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang suffered a catastrophic engine failure on lap 208. White smoke billowed from his car before flames emerged from the right side, forcing him to retire to pit road. He finished 36th out of 37 cars.
"I didn't have any warning," Blaney told Fox Sports. "It just laid over when I got back to wide-open down the front and that was all she wrote."
The incident marks Blaney's second engine failure in three weeks and his third consecutive DNF - a first in his career. Prior to this streak, he had started the season strong with two top-seven finishes.
Before the engine failure, Blaney had shown exceptional pace, at times leading the field by up to 8 seconds. He lost some track position after contact with Chase Elliott on pit road but had recovered to third place when the engine gave out.
Despite the setback, Blaney remained optimistic: "We'll continue to keep fighting. The good news is we're bringing fast cars and that's all you can ask for. We'll keep our heads up and keep moving."
This latest misfortune continues a difficult month for Blaney, who hasn't finished better than 19th in his last four races, despite showing promising speed throughout.