Ryan Blaney loses points and his crew chief before Sunday’s Southern 500
Ryan Blaney got off to bad start for the Cup Series playoffs before hitting the track Sunday for the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
NASCAR docked Blaney 10 points and issued a one-race suspension for his crew chief Todd Gordon after the car failed pre-race inspection. NASCAR said Blaney’s car had an improperly mounted ballast.
Blaney, who was supposed to start seventh Sunday, will now have begin the race from the rear of the field. Sunday’s race was the first of 10-race, 16-driver playoff. The top 12 drivers advance to the second round after three races.
Travis Geisler served as Blaney’s crew chief for the race, according to a statement released by Penske Racing.
“A five-pound bag of lead that is typically used during setup at the shop to simulate fluid weights prior to the race engine being installed was accidentally left in the car. The team accepts the penalty and Travis Geisler will serve as the crew chief for the No. 12 team this evening,” Penske Racing statement said.
Blaney finished 24th in the race after having a tire go down during the race. He goes to Richmond in 16th-place, 17 points 12th-place driver Aric Almirola.
NASCAR said a full penalty report will be issued next week.
The Cook Out Southern 500 begins at 6 p.m. on NBC Sports Network.
This story was originally published September 6, 2020 at 4:00 PM.
