Cup points leader Ryan Blaney, Penske teammate Brad Keselowski and Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin were involved in a Lap 64 crash that damaged all three vehicles in Sunday’s Cup race at Phoenix Raceway.
The trio were entering Turn 3, transitioning from the untreated part of the track and up into the section of track that has PJ1 traction compound applied to it.
Hamlin, who suffered heavy right front damage, got into the rear of Keselowski, while Blaney -- with nowhere to go -- slammed into the rear of Hamlin’s car.
Blaney’s car suffered the most damage. He took his Ford Mustang to the garage and was knocked out of the race.
“It looks like (Hamlin) just tried to send it on there below (Keselowski), got loose and hit him, then over-corrected and got us in the left front, and then we got up in the dirt and ran right into the fence,” Blaney told Fox Sports. "(We were a) bystander in that one. It sucks that it happened that early in the race.”
Repairs were made to Hamlin’s car on pit road and he went back on the track, finishing 20th. Keselowski was able to continue and rallied back for an 11th-place finish.
Fast car, caught every bad break possible. Rebounded to win a stage and had a shot to win till all the yellows at the end came out at the wrong time for us.
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) March 8, 2020
Sounds like another Phoenix race weekend for me. Currently checking my bus for rattle snakes because I am snake bit here.