After brake failure at Gateway, Ryan Blaney doesn't have any mulligans left in NASCAR's Chase

If not for the 14 stage points he earned in the Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway, Ryan Blaney would've left the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series Chase outside of the top five in the standings after brake issues relegated him to a 35th-place finish. 

Instead, he's fourth going into Saturday's Bristol Night Race (7:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and only 33 points back of leader Denny Hamlin. Blaney finished second to Ty Gibbs at Bristol on April 12. 

The 2023 champion believes he doesn't have any mulligans left if he is to claim title No. 2 this year. 

Ryan Blaney doesn't think he can afford another bad finish in the Chase

"I would like for us to just have one, and that was this past weekend," Blaney told reporters Wednesday. "I don't think you can afford to finish in the 30s multiple times and have a shot to win. I just think that's going to be really hard to do. I think you get maybe one. Hate to use them early.

"I just don't see that you can finish outside the top 30 multiple times and have a shot. It's just going to be too much to make up."

Saturday's race is a huge opportunity for Blaney and the No. 12 team to make up ground on Hamlin, especially considering that three mile-and-a-half tracks, where Ford has not been able to keep up with Toyota this season, loom on the schedule after this weekend. 

Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.