“It was like a big dual effort”: Ryan Blaney gets real on his ‘abysmal weekend’ last year to a surprise pole position at Watkins Glen

Ryan Blaney had a torrid weekend at Watkins Glen last year, but the 2023 Cup Series champion and his crew's efforts have turned his 2025 race around in the early part of the weekend. The 31-year-old secured his second pole position of the year and shared how it was a dual effort that helped him redeem himself in qualifying this year.

Last year, Blaney had qualified 30th, and his race ended without him finishing even a solitary lap. The kerfuffle caused by Kyle Busch's spin took him out of the race as the dismal weekend ended early for him.

While the Team Penske driver has not had great results in 2025, with only a solitary win so far, Blaney has put himself in prime position to secure victory at Watkins Glen. Reflecting on how this weekend at Watkins Glen has been a complete turnaround so far, he said in the post-qualifying press conference:

"On our side, the 12 team, we had an abysmal weekend here last year. Saturday practice was awful, qualifying, we were terrible and then we made half a lap in the race because we qualified so bad and went home early, and we worked really hard on where do we need to get better here. Where do I need to do a better job, and how can we improve our racecars as well, so it was like a big dual effort."

Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney will have Shane van Gisbergen to accompany him on the front row.

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Ryan Blaney on the task of starting alongside Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen

Ryan Blaney at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Source: Imagn

Shane van Gisbergen has amassed three race wins already this season. While Ryan Blaney might breathe a sigh of relief as the Kiwi has only won from pole position, the Trackhouse Racing driver is slated to not easily let go of a battle for the win if he comes off the first corner cleanly.

With SVG known for his racing instincts, Blaney is looking forward to the challenge of racing the New Zealander at the 2.45-mile track, as he said in his post-qualifying press conference:

"It’s nice to qualify well. Obviously, qualify next to Shane [Van Gisbergen] and his talents and at some point of the race, hopefully we are racing each other to where I can maybe pick up a few things, like seeing it with my own two eyes in front of me."

On the other hand, the 31-year-old has already secured a playoff berth. Thus, this race will not be a do-or-die, which is not true for the majority of the Cup Series field.