Ryan Blaney makes feelings clear after clash with Ross Chastain derailed his All-Star Race ambition

After bearing the brunt of a late-race contact with Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney reflected on the NASCAR All-Star Race. The Team Penske driver displayed a strong pace all night at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, coming closer to his second million-dollar race win; however, the prospects were derailed.

The 250-lap race witnessed Christopher Bell claim his maiden NASCAR All-Star Race win. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver made a risky move over Joey Logano to deny the defending winner a second consecutive victory. Blaney qualified seventh and eyed to add another triumph to his resume, bearing the 2022 All-Star win at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Things progressed smoothly for Blaney. The Ohio native propelled his #12 Ford Mustang to the front. Following the promoter's caution on Lap 216, Blaney restarted from the second place, next to Logano. However, on the second lap after the green, Blaney made contact with Chastain's #1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, got sideways, and lost multiple track positions.

As a result, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion salvaged a 16th-place finish.

Blaney reflected on the ordeal he faced post the contact, however, expressed the weekend was "not a bad night."

“We tried to give it a shot at it by staying out at the end there but I got spun out off of [turn] four as I was trying to clear up and it was a rough two laps from there. Not a bad night. I wish we could have contended a little bit better but we got a lot better from Friday," Ryan Blaney said via SpeedwayDigest.

The 31-year-old will be next seen in the Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

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Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Team Penske earn a noteworthy accolade from the Town of Mooresville

Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano- NASCAR: Cup Practice - Source: Imagn

Team Penske, the Mooresville-based outfit, has been a dominant organization in NASCAR. The Roger Penske-owned team has claimed 47 championships across various motorsports disciplines, with 24 produced in the Mooresville facility, including five Cup Series championships.

Joey Logano won the 2022 championship, followed by Ryan Blaney in 2023. The former clinched his third and Penske's third consecutive title with his victory at the 2024 Championship Race.

That being said, Charles Mack Citizen Center in downtown Mooresville hosted a proclamation ceremony for Team Penke, Logano, Blaney, and the crews of #12 and #22 teams for the back-to-back titles. Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney and the Town Board of Commissioners honored them.

“What a privilege it is for Team Penske to be honored by the Town of Mooresville,” said Michael Nelson, President of NASCAR Operations, Team Penske via Jayski. “Mooresville is not only home to the organization, but also where so many of our team members and their families live and work. We are certainly proud to represent the town, our partners and race fans each week we go to the track and compete at the highest level of motorsports.”

With five top-5s and six top-10s, Ryan Blaney will head to Charlotte ranked fifth.