Ryan Blaney delivers unfiltered opinion on potential 36-race playoff format: "Open for whatever"

Ryan Blaney shared a blunt take on NASCAR's potential return to a full-season points format. The Team Penske driver remained unfazed by the proposed change and welcomed 'whatever' decision was in store.

Earlier this week, The Athletic reported that the 36-race championship format was seriously considered by NASCAR's playoff committee. The speculation began after the recent New Hampshire playoff race saw a drop in viewership.

The classic points system offers a simple format that can be widely understood, while the current elimination-style playoffs require a deeper understanding of the points reset after each round, making it tough to gain new fans.

Blaney and his Penske teammate, Joey Logano, have benefited the most from the playoffs, seeing how the title-decider at Phoenix is one of the team's strongest tracks. Nonetheless, Blaney wasn't worried about a possible shift to the classic points system.

"Honestly, to me, like it doesn't matter either way to me, whether it's this 36 races, the original chase, like we race to the format and we're going to make the most out of any format that we're given," he said via Youtube/Frontstretch [1:02 onwards]

However, when asked if the full-season format adds legitimacy to the sport, Blaney took offence to the suggestion, saying,

"That word legitimate gets tossed around a lot and it kind of pisses me off a little bit. That people think that the guys who have won in this format aren't legit champions. It's like everyone has the same shot to win, that's just the outside world's perspective. It's hard to win no matter what format it is."

Ryan Blaney won the New Hampshire race and secured his spot on the final eight. He now heads to Kansas Speedway, but with a massive disadvantage. The No.12 driver crashed during practice and has switched to a backup car, resulting in a tail-end start for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400.

The 267-lap event is scheduled for 3 PM ET. Fans can watch the race on USA and HBO Max, or listen to radio updates via PRN and SiriusXM.

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Ryan Blaney weighs in on the Denny Hamlin-Ty Gibbs drama

Ryan Blaney commented on Denny Hamlin's intra-team rivalry with Ty Gibbs. The Joe Gibbs Racing ace took out Gibbs during the playoff race at New Hampshire, leading to heated comments from both sides. Hamlin later took to his podcast and suggested that he deserves the right of way as a playoff driver.

Reflecting upon the comment, the No.12 driver shared an alternate take of the situation.

"I don't fully expect anyone to ever move and let me buy. It's definitely a nice gesture if that happens, but they're not forced to move," Ryan Blaney said via aforementioned source. [3:50 onwards]

Denny Hamlin, on his part, addressed the fallout and admitted to his faults.