"Hardest hit I've ever had in my life”: Ryan Blaney opens up about his collision at Nashville

The NASCAR Cup Series' return to Music City was an unlucky occasion for Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney.

Crashing out of the 400-mile-long event on one of the few restarts during the race, the #12 Pennzoil Ford Mustang driver made contact with a wall on the inside of the Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday.

When caution broke out for 23X Racing's Tyler Reddick's #45 Toyota Camry TRD losing a wheel at the entrance to pit road, the caution flag flew dictating a restart during the Cup Series event. On the subsequent restart, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing's Brad Keselowski failed to accelerate as the field mashed the gas.

Causing several drivers to check up and avoid the #6 Ford Mustang, a chain reaction set off with Ryan Blaney being hit from behind by Kyle Busch. The hit sent both drivers into the grass, with Blaney getting the short end of the stick.

In what he deemed as the most severe impact of his career, Blaney spoke about the crash after he was released from the infield care center. He said:

"I don't really know what happened. Someone checked up on the restart I guess and I got hit from behind. I just couldn't get it straightened out. I thought I was going to come back around and I'd be okay but it just never got back right. I don't know why there's no SAFER barrier there, it's pretty ridiculous, hardest hit I've ever had in my life so, happy to be alright."

Chase Elliott comments on Ryan Blaney's accident during NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott was one of the few drivers to speak about Ryan Blaney's head-on impact with the inside wall at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday.

Highlighting the importance of SAFER barriers on every part of a track, especially on high-speed ovals such as Nashville Superspeedway, Elliott said in a post-race interview:

"Hopefully he's (Ryan Blaney) alright. I feel like they do a pretty good job generally of getting SAFER barriers up in all the places that they can. Sounds like they need to add a spot, unfortunately. Seems like we always find a way to find that one area that's exposed."

SAFER barriers consist of steel tubing welded in flush mounting on existing concrete walls that allow the wall itself to absorb the energies during an impact. Along with the car maximizing the driver's safety, SAFER barriers are a key safety feature in various motorsports around the world.