Ryan Blaney unconvinced of Team Penske’s ‘favorite’ tag for the 2025 NASCAR Cup championship

NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN BET - Qualifying - Source: Getty
Ryan Blaney during the 2024 Hollywood Casino 400 - Source: Getty

Ryan Blaney may have locked himself into the next round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, but he's not letting up. He acknowledged that any team can dominate and lose ground in the next races, calling NASCAR a “week-to-week sport.”

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Blaney secured a Round of 8 appearance after winning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend. He started behind Team Penske teammate and pole-sitter Joey Logano before defending the lead against fellow Ford driver, Josh Berry, in the closing laps.

Reflecting on how unpredictable race pace can be from week to week, the 31-year-old told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio:

“Every team that's in this deal is really talented, every driver is incredibly talented, so you never know who's going to come on strong at what time. This sport is a week-to-week sport, and you can be on the top of the world one week, and then you can be struggling to find your own way the next week.”
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Given how race results can be inconsistent, Blaney instead focuses on improving his own team, adding:

“The best thing I figured out that we can just do is focus on this group, and how we can get better each week.”
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Despite the uncertainties on race days, Ryan Blaney has reached the Championship 4 in the last two seasons, including a championship-winning run in 2023. He has also never missed the playoffs since moving from Wood Brothers Racing to Team Penske in 2018.

The next race is set at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, preceding the Round of 12 finale at Charlotte Motor Speedway road course, where four drivers will be eliminated from the playoffs. As of posting, the drivers below the cutline are Ross Chastain (-12), Austin Cindric (-19), Tyler Reddick (-23), and Bubba Wallace (-27).

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Ryan Blaney details unrelenting mindset after winning at New Hampshire

Despite already securing a spot in the Round of 8, Ryan Blaney insists on continuing to fight for victories. He and the #12 Team Penske crew plan to keep pushing for wins in the next two races rather than shifting all their focus toward preparing for Las Vegas.

In a post-race interview, the 15-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner said (via Claire B Lang on X):

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“It gives us a little bit more time to think of Vegas. We're still going to give max effort at Kansas and Roval... like the goal is to win every single week.”
“We will not shy any attention away from Kansas or Roval, but might start working on Vegas earlier than you would, knowing that you're going to be in the Round of 8 there,” Ryan Blaney added.
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Ryan Blaney drives the #12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske - Source: Imagn
Ryan Blaney drives the #12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske - Source: Imagn

His triumph at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend was his third of the 2025 season. Josh Berry finished second ahead of William Byron, Joey Logano, and Chase Elliott. Christopher Bell led the Toyota camp in sixth after the Japanese manufacturer dominated the Round of 16. Completing the top 10 were Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, Ross Chastain, and Chase Briscoe.

The race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 12 will open the Round of 8 with 267 laps around the 1.5-mile track. The YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway is set to follow before the round concludes in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, where Blaney clinched Championship 4 appearances in the last two seasons.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

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Edited by Zarec Sanchez
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