Around The Track - Ryan Blaney’s playoff hopes get NASCAR reprieve
Yahoo Sports' Nick Bromberg breaks down how NASCAR’s decision to rescind Ryan Blaney’s disqualification in Las Vegas impacts the Cup Series playoffs.
Video Transcript
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NICK BROMBERG: It was quite the unique 24 hours for NASCAR and Team Penske following Sunday's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Let's go Around The Track, presented by Toyota Racing, and focus on what you need to know ahead of this week's race.
Kyle Larson won Sunday's race ahead of Christopher Bell, and the six other playoff drivers finished between 6 and 11th. Ryan Blaney led that group, but he was relegated to last after he was disqualified when NASCAR said a shock on his car did not meet the required height. That DQ did not last long, however. Monday, NASCAR admitted that Blaney's disqualification was because of an error with its measuring templates, and reinstated Blaney back to sixth.
Blaney's reinstatement changes the complexion of the playoff race ahead of the final two races of the third round. By getting just one point for finishing last because of the DQ, Blaney was facing a must-win situation both at Homestead and Martinsville, to make the title race at Phoenix. Instead, Blaney still has a shot to make the title race via points, and that points race is extremely tight because there wasn't much separation at Vegas.
With Larson already locked into the final round, the other seven drivers are separated by just 30 points entering the second race of the round at Homestead. A bad finish in South Florida for a driver in that group has a great chance of ending his title hopes. That's our trip around the track brought to you by Toyota Racing.