Ryan Blaney seeks redemption at Homestead-Miami: “I feel good where our program is at”

Ryan Blaney recently expressed his optimistic thoughts bearing in mind his previous starts at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Team Penske star will wheel in his No. 12 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for the sixth race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

In his previous two starts at the 1.5-mile asphalt track in Florida, the 2023 Cup Series champion Blaney has had two runner-up finishes in the fall race. While NASCAR scheduled the Miami race in spring for this season, the 31-year-old Ohio native shed light on his strategy for a chance to compete for the win in the final moments of the race.

Speaking with reporter Dustin Long ahead of the Straight Talk Wireless 400 race, Blaney said:

"We had a good run here the last couple years. So yeah, just try to figure out a way to close'em out. Like I had the race won last year and I didn't do a very good job in the last lap and lost the race for us. So it's just like how do you try to keep competing for the lead, put yourself in spots and you hope that you do the right things at the end of these things to win the race. But I enjoy it."

"Hopefully our cars are good. I thought our car was really good last week until I wrecked all of us on the back stretch. So just hope to keep that same pace. But I feel good with where our program is at right now. It's just a matter of trying to get some stuff to go our way and hopefully that continues this weekend," added Blaney.

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"I wish we had two dates": Ryan Blaney makes his feelings known on the Homestead-Miami schedule change for 2025 season

Earlier this weekend, Ryan Blaney expressed his wish to have two races, one in spring and one in fall, at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. The intermediate track hosted the Round of 8 playoffs for the last season, however, this year NASCAR moved the Florida track well ahead in the calendar.

In a conversation with Frontstretch, Roger Penske's star driver Blaney opened up on his thoughts on having two races scheduled in a single season at this venue. He said:

"I'm going to be honest with you, it doesn't matter when we come here. Whether it's spring, fall, in the playoffs, championship race... as long as we're coming here. I think some guys, they would like to come here twice. Maybe one in the spring and one in the fall." [1:19]

He continued:

"It's a shame it's not the playoffs because I think it makes for a great playoff race. You have a lot of excitement around it. But it's just nice to come here and I wish we had two dates." [1:59]

Meanwhile, the No. 12 team and Ryan Blaney are preparing for the sixth race of the season and will be live in action at 3:00 pm ET on FS1.