What an odd day it has been for championship contenders at Dover International Speedway.
Joey Logano went behind the wall before the race even started with a broken axle, and Chase Elliott fell out of the race after just seven laps with a blown engine.
RELATED: Playoff contenders Joey Logano and Chase Elliott Behind the Wall Early at Dover
Now, Ryan Blaney joins the group, as he has gone behind the wall in the Final Stage of the race after he has lost his brakes.
Blaney had been running inside the top-10 for the majority of the race and he seemed poised to walk out of Sunday’s Drydene 400 inside the top-8 of the championship standings.
Then, bad luck struck.
It’s the continuation of a frustrating season for Blaney. He’s been fast all year — that’s part of the reason he’s still in contention for the title in the Round of 12. Unfortunately, luck has not been on his side. Weird mechanical issues and odd twists of fate have left Blaney win-less in 2019.
Now, he could be facing a must-win situation in one of the two remaining races in the Round of 12.
Blaney’s bad luck is a turn of good luck for William Byron.
Byron was penalized for speeding on pit road in Stage 2, and as a result went a lap down. The penalty had knocked Byron barely outside the top-8 in points. With Blaney’s misfortunes, things have swapped again and Byron looks to be back in a good position.
