"It’s like cheap shots, right?": When Ryan Blaney made his feelings known about the unwanted aspect of NASCAR racing

Former Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney once revealed what he finds most frustrating about racing in NASCAR. In a 2023 interview—the same year he clinched his first Cup Series title—Blaney shared his candid thoughts on the most annoying aspect of competing at the highest level.

The driver of the #12 Ford for Team Penske, competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. Throughout his career, he has amassed 13 Cup Series victories, along with seven Xfinity Series wins and four in the Truck Series. Notable highlights include his 2022 All-Star Race win and a triumph in the 2023 Coca-Cola 600.

In a December 2023 interview with Andrew Woodin of the USA Network, Ryan Blaney discussed the challenges of balancing friendships and competition in NASCAR. He acknowledged that even drivers who share strong off-track relationships sometimes have to race aggressively 'on purpose' to gain an advantage on the track. As per the Penske driver, this is the most annoying aspect of NASCAR racing.

“On the track, I feel like between drivers, it’s like cheap shots, right?” Blaney offered. “Running into someone, dooring them on purpose for no reason. I’m sure it’s the same way as getting a leg block [in the NFL], or something from behind ... tripping ... going low and hurting somebody, taking a chance to hurt someone. I think it’s kinda the same way in our world."

“As athletes in our world, you know what’s f***ed up, and what’s not,” added Blaney. “I think it’s the same in every sport. And on the track, if someone runs into you for no reason, you’re like, ‘Well, what the f**k?’”

In recent times, the Ohio native has faced a challenging start to his 2025 Cup Series campaign. While he began the season on a strong note, his performance has steadily declined since securing a top-five finish at Atlanta, leaving the #12 driver searching for momentum.

To add to his struggles, Ryan Blaney led nearly 125 laps in the Straight Talk Wireless 400 before his engine blew out, forcing him into an early retirement from what could have been a promising finish for the Penske driver.

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Ryan Blaney remains stays optimistic despite Miami mishap: "We’ll keep our heads up"

The 2023 Cup Series champion recorded his third straight DNF in the Cup Series for the first time in his career after his engine gave out at Homestead. The 31-year-old suffered a similar engine issue at Phoenix before crashing in Las Vegas the previous week.

However, despite the underwhelming result, Blaney expressed that he and the #12 team will have to 'keep moving on' and work harder in the upcoming events.

“I appreciate the 12 guys for just giving me a hot rod. It was an incredibly, incredibly fast race car today. We’ll keep our heads up. It’s just one of those things where it’s not really going our way right now, but the good news is we’re bringing fast cars and that’s all you can ask for. We’ll keep on moving.” the #12 driver said (via NASCAR)

Starting in P6, Ryan Blaney finished a disappointing P35, ahead of only Carson Hocevar. Up next, the Cup Series heads to Martinsville for the Cook Out 400 next Sunday.