'Hardest hit I've ever had in my life' - Blaney crashes early at Nashville

Ryan Blaney made impact with an inside wall at Nashville Superspeedway that had no SAFER barrier and left the Team Penske driver saying it was the “hardest hit” he’s had.

Blaney crashed on lap 147 of Sunday night’s race as the field came to a restart. A stack-up started in the second row with Brad Keselowski, who restarted in the outside lane. The field tried to take evasive action by scattering to the left and right of Keselowski.

Coming to the restart, Blaney was lined up on the inside of the ninth row. He was tagged from behind by Kyle Busch, which sent Blaney’s Ford spinning to the left.

During the spin, the Penske Ford went through the frontstretch grass and across the pavement of the exit of pit road. It then went nose-first into the inside wall.

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“I feel better now,” Blaney said after being cleared from the infield care center. “It’s a shame to end our night early. I thought we finally got decent there the start of the second stage and I don’t really know what happened. Someone checked up on the restart, I guess, and I kind of checked up and got hit from behind.

“I didn’t know if they were wrecking and just couldn’t get it straightened out when I got out of the grass. I thought I was going to come back around and I’d be OK, but it just never got back right, and I don’t know why there’s no SAFER barrier there. It’s pretty ridiculous, honestly -- hardest hit I’ve ever had in my life, so happy to be all right. It sucks for the Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Stinks to go home early.”

After the impact, Blaney said he needed time to catch his breath. He climbed from the car under his own power.

The lack of a SAFER barrier was a sticking point for him, being puzzled about how there wasn’t one in that spot, but expects it won’t be an issue going forward after his crash.

“I honestly thought I was going to be fine,” Blaney said. “I really thought I was going to be OK once I got past the grass back onto the asphalt. I thought I could kind of swing back around when I got off the brake.

“It just never did; it was at the weird angle. I thought I could get back going straight until the last second, and it just never came back.”