Team Penske star Ryan Blaney makes his emotions known after an ‘unfortunate’ finish at Phoenix: “It wasn't in the cards”

Team Penske star Ryan Blaney hoped for a strong finish at the Shriners Children's 500, but an engine failure abruptly ended his race with 23 laps to go. The #12 took to X to post a series of images from his race on Sunday at Phoenix, reflecting on his race and looking forward to the next race in Las Vegas.

Ryan Blaney was looking at his third top-10 finish this season at Phoenix. He started at the 12th position and finished the first stage at fifth and the second stage at fourth, maintaining a consistent pace. Team Penske's Ford cars were all in good positions before the race's final stretch, using option tires as his teammates Joey Logano and Austin Cindric were all in the top 20.

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion was looking to finish in the top 5, as he was in the eighth position. But Blaney's race took a turn in Lap 290 when his engine blew, throwing steam. The motor started troubling him after he had completed 200 laps, as he voiced those concerns earlier on the radio. A mechanical failure so late in the race forced him to retire, leading to a DNF as he pulled into the pit to end his race in 27th place.

"We were in position to have a great day, but it wasn’t in the cards. We just blew up and that’s unfortunate. On to Vegas." Ryan Blaney posted on X.

Throughout the race, Blaney worked his way up the order, running inside the top ten for extended periods and even earning stage points. However, he remains without a win in his 19 starts at Phoenix Raceway, with four second-place finishes. Blaney's frustration was evident, but he remains optimistic about bouncing back in Las Vegas.

Ryan Blaney’s engine failure also had a strategic impact on the race as it threw the race into a caution. Christopher Bell, who was leading at the time, ultimately took the win in the second-closest victory at Phoenix ever as his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin finished 0.049 seconds behind him.

Ryan Blaney remains without a win in the 2025 season so far

Ryan Blaney at EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix - Source: Imagn

Ryan Blaney is perhaps the best racer this season, who is yet to win a race. The Penske No. 12 started the season with a seventh-place finish at Daytona after leading for 23 Laps and even winning stage one. He followed it up at Atlanta with another top 5 finish, finishing fourth after starting at pole. He finished at the Circuit of the Americas in 19th place.

Blaney currently stands in fourth place in the NASCAR Cup Series Standings in 2025 with 136 points after Phoenix. Still looking for his first win, Blaney next goes to Las Vegas intending to end his winless streak with his first victory at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Pennzoil 400 on March 16.