“It’s, what are you willing to push it to?”: Ryan Blaney comments on sealing his place in the championship race at Las Vegas

Ryan Blaney opened up about booking his place in the Championship 4 before he gets behind the wheel at Las Vegas. After qualifying 14th on the grid, he said that he won’t be reining in his performance just because he was in the final four, as he also looked to refine the car and strategies.

Blaney had booked his place in the next round of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Las Vegas for the South Point 400, with his crucial victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the Round of 12. By his steady running during this playoff period, he had kept himself ahead of the cutline, along with Chase Elliott, as the lone driver heading to Las Vegas.

Hamlin must rely on points or a victory in the remaining Round of 8 races at Homestead, Vegas, or Martinsville to guarantee a spot in the Championship 4.

“It’s, what are you willing to push it to?” Blaney said, via NASCAR.com. “And I’ve never been a big fan of reeling something in. Like, I feel like if you’re trying to get the most out of your stuff and keep working on it and refine it — I mean, you can’t just keep doing the same thing, which we aren’t. So just refining what you think is fast and good.”

Ryan Blaney’s 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season goes on to be a great example of his consistency as a top driver and a genuine championship contender. The 2023 Cup Series champion has been in his usual fighting form all season, which can be seen from his three wins and several top-five and top-ten finishes in 31 races. After several solid performances in the first two rounds of the playoffs, Blaney was able to show his strength at Darlington and Kansas.

Unfortunately, things went a little differently for Hamlin at the Round of 8, where a brief halt occurred following post-race inspections. Nevertheless, the error in the received points was corrected, thereby allowing Blaney’s title aspirations to go on. By winning at Martinsville, Ryan Blaney secured his ticket to the Championship 4 again.

---

Ryan Blaney opens up on Roger Penske’s expectations when racing teammates for the top spot

Ryan Blaney opened up in a SiriusXM NASCAR Radio interview about Team Penske owner Roger Penske’s expectations regarding how his drivers race each other for wins. He revealed that Penske “doesn't care who wins” as long as a Penske driver finishes first or second.

Blamey said:

“Really the one thing Rogers has ever told us is for running 1-2 or something like that, like, I don't care who wins, doesn't matter to me which car wins as long a one of you wins. Just don't wreck each other to win the race. Like, if you're running 1-2, make sure you finish 1-2.”

Penske’s primary directive is for drivers to race cleanly and work together to secure top finishes without jeopardizing each other’s points or playoff chances.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Edited by Hitesh Nigam