"I'm not pulling my hair out over it": Ryan Blaney makes extremely clear remark on his 'stress' ahead of the fierce Championship 4 decider

NASCAR Cup Series defending champion Ryan Blaney is yet to score a seat in the Championship 4 round. He has only one chance to punch his ticket for the last race of the season.

In a recent interview with Frontstretch, Blaney shared his thoughts as he prepares for the crucial Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on November 3, 2024. When asked about the pressure leading up to this pivotal race, the driver of the #12 Ford Mustang emphasized that he approaches it like any other race and doesn’t feel stressed about it.

"Stressed, no, I mean, it’s just approaching the weekend like everyone else, and I don’t feel stress there’s definitely pressure," Blaney said. [01:34] "But I'm not like pulling my hair out over it because it's just all you can do I can do is the best job and bring your best in the track and run the best 500 lap that you can, so there's definitely pressure, but really no stress."

Ryan Blaney has raced at the Martinsville Speedway 17 times but has only secured one victory. He has secured nine top-five finishes on the track.

The #12 Ford Mustang driver claimed victory in the Xfinity 500 on October 29, 2023, when he took home the Cup Series champion trophy. He qualified for the race in 11th place and made his way to the P1.

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Ryan Blaney robbed of a win at the Homestead-Miami race

The Straight Talk Wireless 400 concluded with a dramatic finish as 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick clinched victory in the final moments. Ryan Blaney had a rough start, qualifying 20th and outside the top 10, but quickly climbed through the field.

The 30-year-old driver surged ahead, finishing the round in fourth place after jumping 16 spots, while Reddick finished in P1 in Stage 1.

In the following round, Blaney dropped to fifth but made a strong comeback to take the lead. Unfortunately, his lead was short-lived as he lost it during a pit stop, though he regained his position by lap 266. Meanwhile, Reddick was also recovering and used the high lane on lap 267 to secure the win.

After the race, Ryan Blaney expressed his disappointment about losing the lead in the closing moments.

"I just didn't really have a good last lap. I didn't really get to the bottom like I wanted to, and then wanted to, and I kind of gave the 45 a little clean air, and then he just got a big shot by the 11 down the back," Blaney said. [00:00]

"And I didn't know which way he was going to go. I want to see. I mean, it was like, time down, perfect for him. I'm like, getting to my bumper as soon as we got to the corner. And I thought, well, if I go in fast, like, kind of a couple ways off the wall, and kind of just slide up and be good," he added.

Tyler Reddick made history by qualifying for the Championship 4 for the first time since the team's debut in 2024, while Ryan Blaney continues to face challenges in securing a spot in the next round to defend his title.