Johnathan Walker:NASCAR rescinds Ryan Blaney Las Vegas disqualification; restores playoff driver's result

Playoff driver Ryan Blaney has been issued a reprieve by NASCAR one day after he suffered a huge setback in his championship chase.

NASCAR rescinded Blaney’s disqualification from Sunday’s Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Johnathan Walkerrestored the Team Penske driver's stage and race finishing positions.

Blaney crossed the line in sixth place on Sunday in his No. 12 Ford but was disqualified from the event and classified last after a post-race technical inspection determined that the left-front shock on the car did not meet the required length of 22.55 inches, as laid out in Section 14.11.3.5 of the regulations.

However, in a statement issued on Monday, the series said that it has discovered a problem with the template used during the inspection process.

“After further review of the inspection process throughout this weekend’s events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, NASCAR has rescinded the No. 12 disqualification penalty,” read the statement.

“Monday morning during its race weekend debrief, NASCAR discovered an issue with the damper template used for inspection. NASCAR then conducted a detailed investigation, and has restored the No. 12’s stage and race finishing positions from Sunday.

"NASCAR has taken internal steps to remedy this issue moving forward.”

In addition to the 39 points Blaney earned through his race result, he picked up an additional five points for finishing sixth in the first stage, and three points for an eighth place in the second stage.

NASCAR PLAYOFFS:Where the drivers stand after Sunday's third-round race at Las Vegas

The reversal moves Blaney from last place among the eight remaining title-eligible drivers to seventh, trimming his deficit relative to the provisional elimination line from 56 to 17 points.

Team Penske responded with a statement Monday evening, applauding the ruling by NASCAR.

“We are pleased with the decision by NASCAR to rescind the post-race disqualification to the No. 12 car following Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,” the statement read. “NASCAR has shown a tremendous amount of integrity throughout the process which has led to this conclusion. We are proud of the effort and the results by the No. 12 team during the 2023 season. We look forward to continuing the pursuit of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship.”