Those who finished high up the pack in Bristol on Sunday seem to have a good opinion of the race, but that can’t be said for every driver. Defending Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney ripped NASCAR and Goodyear in his post-race press conference after finishing P16 in the Food City 500. Speaking to the media after the race, the Team Penske driver alleged malpractice on the tire manufacturer’s part.

The #12 Team Penske car was one of the first cars to lose its tires ahead of that final pit stop, and he couldn’t recover to a good finishing position. At the end of the day, it could just be sour grapes on the reigning Cup Series champion’s part, but he seemed convinced that Goodyear was dishonest with the drivers.

Ryan Blaney didn’t have fun at the Bristol race

For the first time since 1995, the Bristol Motor Speedway featured its retro red and white walls. Talking about this throwback before the weekend started, the Speedway’s president, Jerry Caldwell, said, “There have been so many iconic moments for the sport of NASCAR to take place on this track and inside these walls. We hope to be able to share more of those ‘wow’ moments with fans on Sunday afternoon.” While Ryan Blaney felt it would’ve been “entertaining” for the spectators, he didn’t feel the same.

Speaking about the race, Blaney had a smile on his face, but nothing that he said suggested he was in a good mood. The driver of the #12 had finished in the top five in three successive races heading into Bristol, but that streak snapped. Given how loose the cars were getting in that final stage with the high tire wear, the Team Penske man expressed his surprise that no one wrecked.

When asked if he enjoyed the race, Blaney said, “No, I didn’t have fun. What’s fun about riding around… can’t run 50 laps unless you blow a tire. You got guys with blown stuff creeping around the race track. I can’t believe there wasn’t an accident. Everybody blew a tire there before the last pit stop.” To further establish his point, he made a comparison to Daytona.  

“You know what it reminded me of?” he questioned. “It reminded me of the Daytona fuel save is what it was. Literally 2 by 2, you’re creeping around there, quarter throttle, saving your tires, just don’t know when you want to go or not. They say they scrubbed the same tires, but that’s absolute BS,” he said.

It’s common knowledge among motorsports fans that new tire compounds must be tested before being used in a race. Otherwise, things would be too unpredictable. A reputed manufacturer like Goodyear surely wouldn’t take that risk, right? Not according to the reigning Cup Series champion.

Read More: Ryan Blaney Dismisses Concerns Over Team Penske Teammates’ Winless Form With an Encouraging Message

Blaney stressed the need for tire tests in a Tony Stewart-esque tirade

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Ryan Blaney went on a full-fledged rant against Goodyear, reminiscent of a young Tony Stewart, as he slammed them for allegedly bringing a different compound to the race than they had promised. This was reportedly not substantiated by the tire manufacturer, and the reigning Cup Series champion was the only one who said it after the race ended.

“If we bring a new tire like this – they’re gonna deny they got a new tire. But obviously, it’s different – you have to test it. You can’t just show up at the race track and run 500 laps with it. You have to have a tire test. That’s why we do tire tests.” Considering high tire wear was the story of Food City 500, he added, “If you don’t, this is what it ends up like.” 

Tire management is a crucial aspect of any race. Talking about that, Blaney continued, “Yeah, we want wear and fall off, but you have to have an idea how it’s gonna wear off first. You can’t just unload something out of the blue and have what it was today. I bet it was entertaining for everybody to watch. I bet it was wild…little bit of a wild race, not in a good way,” he added.

These are serious allegations against NASCAR’s tire partner, and if they are unfounded, the reigning Cup Series champion could face some serious consequences in the near future. Do you think Goodyear got a set of new tire compounds to Bristol without testing them out? Let us know your thoughts.

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