Ryan Blaney finds himself on the back foot at the inaugural 2025 NASCAR race with a hole in his water cooler

Ryan Blaney, the Team Penske driver, ran into some trouble in the Heat Race 1 when his water cooler had a hole. Jamie Little reported on the situation with a post on X.

Blaney faced a challenging start to the 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, finishing last in Heat Race 1. Despite this setback, his strong performance in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series points standings secured him a him a provisional entry into the main event, allowing him to participate in the 200-lap race. As he prepares for the race, fans are eager to see how he will leverage his experience and skills on the track.

Jamie Little, the veteran NASCAR Reporter, posted on X, encompassing the reason for Blaney finishing last in Heat Race 1.

"Work ongoing on Ryan Blaney’s car. They discovered a hole in the water cooler and swapped that and the radiator out. Plan is to run some laps in LCQ and take the provisional."

As Ryan Blaney enters the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, he will have his sights set on regaining the championship title while building on an impressive career that includes 13 victories in NASCAR's top series. With a strong support team at Team Penske that has won the championship in each of the last three seasons, Blaney is well-positioned for another year competing at the front in the Cup Series.

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“You want to win at neat, historical places like this”: Ryan Blaney looks to gain bragging rights with ‘The Clash’ victory

Ryan Blaney shared his thoughts ahead of The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, emphasizing his desire to gain bragging rights by winning this historic race. Having competed at the Winston-Salem track in his teenage years, Blaney has a deep connection to the venue, recalling fond memories of racing in a Bandolero car while family and friends cheered him on. To Speedway Digest, he said:

“Yeah, I mean, this is an exhibition race. It’s the Clash, but you still want to win it, and you want to win at neat places, historical places like this."

"Those guys who won at the Coliseum, that’s a really historic place. You can say that I won at the Coliseum in L.A., and here it’s the same way. I think to be able to have that title would be pretty cool. And, like I said, it has home ties to me, so that’s another thing that I think would be special," he added.

Reflecting on the importance of the race, Blaney acknowledged that while The Clash is an exhibition event, it still holds value for drivers. He compared the prestige of winning at Bowman Gray to victories at other historic venues like the Coliseum in Los Angeles.