NSCS: Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney Suffer Engine Issues in Daytona 500

Well Joey Logano took his Roush Yates motor to victory lane, Brad Keselwoski and Ryan Blaney wouldn’t have the same success as they’d see their 500 dreams go up in smoke.

Keselowski stayed near the front throughout the race, but would go up in smoke with 40 laps to go. The driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford said that there was no indication of a problem before it went.

“It just broke, but when it broke I knew it broke because it broke pretty big, which is a shame for the Miller Lite Ford,” he commented. “It is what it is. We had a good car. We were in position in the top five, top 10 and was just kind of counting down some laps and getting ready for a crazy finish, and just wanted to be there for it, but, unfortunately, that’s not gonna happen.”

Keselowski added that when a motor goes, it “scared the crap out of you” as “it’s a big explosion and you’re sitting right next to it”.

Then 15 laps later, Blaney would follow suit as his motor would go up in smoke in the same formation. Blaney was in the process of trying to get back towards the front of the field after making contact with the wall earlier in the event when Tony Stewart slid up across the track.

“I thought we were going to be OK,” Blaneh commented. “I couldn’t see how bad it was hurt. They said it was OK. It was a little tight, effecting the tow and aero and stuff. After they worked on it, it got better. I thought we were going to race good up there and we were until the engine blew up. They did a good job fixing it up after the 14 got into us. It’s just an unfortunate deal. I thought we were close enough to the front where that wouldn’t happen. He changed lanes and it got tight. It was tight in (turn) 4 all day. We weren’t running bad, especially after that incident with Tony. We just wanted to get to the last 25 laps and be in a good spot.”

About the Author

Ashley McCubbin

Joining OnPitRoad.com mid-2013 season, Ashley McCubbin is now the Managing Editor and contributes to each racing division as needed. Since studying journalism at the University of Guelph-Humber, Ashley has published articles on a couple of different websites, while serving as a public relations representative for different short track teams. Born in North York, Ontario, Ashley currently lives in Bradford, Ontario and spends her weekend at the local short tracks in the area. She has spent her entire life at the short track level, falling in love with the sport at the age of five. Beyond her love of short track racing, she also has grown an interest for both NASCAR and the IndyCar Racing Series. She also enjoys taking photos and working on websites, while playing a couple rounds of Candy Crush afterwards.

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