Ryan Blaney is clinging to hopes of winning a second NASCAR Cup championship in four years after experiencing a big setback on Sept. 13 at the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Blaney, who was third in the points standings heading into the second race in the NASCAR Chase, said he believes he must win at least one of the remaining eight races and pick up the 55-point win bonus in the new format to claim the championship.
He dropped only one place after the NASCAR Gateway race, but fell from 16 points behind the leader, Denny Hamlin, to 33.
Blaney's brakes failed because of the extreme heat at Gateway, bringing out one of a season-high 18 cautions. It caused the No. 12 Team Penske Ford to smack the wall, forcing Blaney to exit
the race and finish 35th. It was his second-worst finish in the 2026 season.
The Chase continues with the NASCAR Bristol Night Race on Sept. 19 (USA Network, 6:30 p.m. CT).
"You're going to see big swings. We've seen that from people winning or having off nights," Blaney said. "You're going to see big fluctuations in the points. (Christopher) Bell was able to do it at Darlington. Kyle Larson was able to do it this past weekend. Winning is incredibly important. Stage points and winning are really, really important, and you're going to have to win multiple times and limit mistakes if you want a chance to win the championship."
What Ryan Blaney said about brake failure at Gateway
Blaney was in contention to win at Gateway when his brakes failed. He was in sixth place on Lap 155 of 240 when a brake rotor disintegrated, forcing him into the wall.
Blaney said his team was likely responsible for the failure as a result of pushing the brake element beyond its limit.
"I think we understand where the issue was of just a little too much heat to the brakes," he said. "There was a handful of other guys that had issues, too. Everyone's just on the limit. You're always trying to find a limit of whether it's weight, whether it's downforce of how much tape you put on the brake ducts. We're always on that edge, and unfortunately we just went over that edge slightly, and it cost us."
Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher and Zane Smith also encountered brake issues at Gateway.
“Gateway has always been a place that’s tough on brakes,” Blaney’s crew chief, Jonathan Hassler, told NASCAR.com after the race. "We’ve been on the good side of it before, but we knew there was a little more demand with this package."
Why stage points have been big for Ryan Blaney
Gateway was not a total disaster for Blaney. He earned 14 points by finishing fourth in Stages 1 and 2.
That could make a difference in the long run in the Chase for Blaney, who has 2,135 points. Other than trailing Hamlin, Blaney is 24 points behind Larson and 15 behind Bell.
"I wouldn't say I look at position in the Chase as far as third, fourth, fifth, whatever," Blaney said. "I look more at the points back from the lead that I am. And then you understand who is in between you and the leader, and then you know who you're racing."
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Is Ryan Blaney in must-win situation in NASCAR Chase after Gateway disaster?
