Back on May 25 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang got caught in a mess not of his making. On lap 245, Chase Briscoe checked up on the frontstretch, turning Daniel Suarez, who spun into Blaney and sent him slamming into the wall. Suarez’s slide collected Kyle Larson and Justin Haley, too, leaving Blaney’s title defense bruised and his playoff hopes shaken. That crash was a stark reminder of how quickly things can unravel, even for a driver with Blaney’s pedigree.

Now, fast-forward to Michigan, where Blaney’s frustrations boiled over in a moment. And this time around, he was the architect of his own downfall, unable to keep his car under control at the 2-0-mile oval track.

On lap 109 of the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan, Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang went from contender to chaos in a heartbeat. Running 12th, the 2023 NASCAR Cup champ got loose in Turn 4, spinning onto pit road and bringing out the caution flag. The slide left Blaney’s right rear toe link battered, with visible damage to the right side. “It’s f—— killed. System: I f—– it all up,” Blaney screamed over the radio, his frustration raw.

The #12 Ford wasn’t impeded by other cars on the track, it was just a freak accident where Blaney lost control of his ride and just spun across the racetrack. Chris Buescher did a good job of avoiding any contact and put his foot on the gas, and ran in front of the spinning Team Penske car. Stage 2 has seen a lot of stoppages due to wrecks and pile-ups, and this incident by Blaney is likely to close out this stage.

In the follow-up restart, Austin Cindric and William Byron were involved in a battle to grab the stage win. But once again, the #24 car pulled through on lap 119 and scored the almighty playoff point for himself. Cindric finished second, Carson Hocevar, Tyler Reddick, and Ross Chastain rounded out the top 5 spots.

Ryan Blaney’s torrid 2025 outing continues

Blaney’s Michigan spin might have been preempted when, just days back, analyst Jeff Burton sounded alarms. “There is a price to be paid”, Burton had warned on NASCAR Inside the Race on YouTube, pointing to Blaney’s whopping five DNFs in the first 14 races of 2025. His Nashville win was a bright spot, but that might have let on some complacency in him, resulting in the Michigan Crash one that could haunt him when playoff seedings are set after the 26-race regular season.

Playoff points are gold in NASCAR’s postseason, and Blaney’s lack of stage wins and consistent finishes is a red flag. “As the playoffs get going, we’ve seen the lack of those points being where you need them in the playoffs, they come back and bite you,” Burton said. Missing a round by a point or two isn’t just bad luck—it’s a season-killer. Last year, Kyle Larson missed out on the regular season championship by a single point, and thus he didn’t have the cushion which Tyler Reddick had late in the knock-out stages.

Blaney’s speed is undeniable, with five top-5s and a pole this year, but his DNFs are piling up fast. Fans on social media are torn—some call him “cursed,” others say he’s pressing too hard. On a day when the Penske driver could’ve raced for stage points, he ended with a 32nd-place finish, multiple laps down. If the #12 team is looking to contend for the championship, they need to get hold of freak crashes and tail-end finishes.