Ryan Blaney ‘excited’ for track layout shift with improved fan experience at COTA: “Everybody likes action” 

Ryan Blaney recently addressed the National course layout for the 2025 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix race at Circuit of the Americas. The Team Penske star will wheel his No. 12 Ford to the season's first road course stint after two eventful superspeedway races at Daytona and Atlanta.

NASCAR will host its fifth edition of the Xfinity and Cup Series race this coming weekend at a track famous for the US Grand Prix. However, this year, the 31-year-old ace stock-car driver will face a new challenge as the track layout has been shifted from the standard 3.41-mile to a shorter course of 2.4 miles and 17 turns.

In a recent media availability, the 2023 Cup Series champion shed light on the shorter course and how it will welcome a new fan experience, with the drivers crossing the front stretch more than usual.

"The course is changing, it's a little bit shorter course, so that'll be a change for us to kind of prepare for, but I've always tried to think of these things like it's the same for everybody. You try to figure it out faster than the rest of the people, but I do like that we will be crossing the frontstretch more, the fans see you more. That's the only downfall with road courses, especially with big places, like maybe you only see cars every two minutes, but now they've shortened it to where you're gonna see us more, more action, and everybody likes action," said Blaney via Speedway Digest.

"I'm excited for it, I think it'll put on just as good of a show, if not maybe even better than what we've had before, so I'm excited to get on track here at the end of February and see what we have," added Ryan Blaney.

NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney, the 13-time Cup race winner, had an impressive first two starts to the 2025 NASCAR season. Not only Blaney but all the Penske drivers had an eventful start this year, especially during superspeedway racing.

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Ryan Blaney delivers his verdict on Team Penske's dominance at Superspeedway

During the media interaction at Atlanta race weekend, Ryan Blaney addressed how Team Penske drivers perform "better than other groups" in NASCAR. Blaney explained how the understanding between his teammates plays a vital role in succeeding at drafting tracks such as Daytona, Atlanta, and Talladega.

In a YouTube video posted by NASCAR reporter Peter Stratta on February 23, Ryan Blaney said:

"We make it a huge point to find each other you know and be committed to each other. I personally feel like we do that better than other groups and that's what makes us really successful."[4:10 onward]

"Understanding the situation and the moment like my mindset in those places is like live to fight another day. Sometimes you just can't throw a block or you can't, you know, make this move because it is a low percentage move and I might take myself out doing or something. I'm just going to kind of hang here and maybe I'll regain momentum and go forward" added Ryan Blaney.

As things stand, Ryan Blaney leads the Cup Series standings with 87 points after his two top-10 finishes. He will next look to tame the road course event in Austin, Texas, on March 2.