Ryan Blaney makes a strong case against NASCAR’s current aero and 'no brainer' horsepower package 

Former Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney recently opened up on NASCAR’s current aero and horsepower package. According to the Penske driver, the sport can do a lot better in those aspects, more so with the aerodynamic arrangement.

Currently, each car on the field is quite similar in terms of specifications. The teams source their components from the same contract suppliers. This means that an overkill solely based on speed is impossible. So the drivers rely mostly on strategy and aerodynamic maneuvers for passing.

Blaney said it would be nice to have the leeway to take away the air from the left rear and get his opponents loose. That way, passing would be easier. Detailing it more on The Athletic's 12 Questions podcast, the Mustang maestro said,

“The biggest thing I wish, like, obviously, the horsepower thing is a is a no brainer. Like I wish we got back up in there. But even with like reduced horsepower, like the Xfinity cars have less horsepower than we have. I wish we could, and we could do this with the old car. I wish you could get people loose on the left rear again.” “If you're close, you can kind of get on the left rear quarter panel and get them loose, get them off the bottom and go on,” Blaney further explained. “I think that's like a super important thing that it helps a lot of the racing, helps passing, if you can pack air like that.”

After the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway, Ryan Blaney’s teammate Joey Logano bagged his second series championship and became the first NASCAR champion in the Next Gen era. However, Hendrick Motorsports ace Kyle Larson has won the most races (16) since then.

---

Ryan Blaney fights adversities en route to a top-three finish at Pocono Raceway

Several things went wrong for Ryan Blaney during last Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway. He was sent to the rear of the field to start the race as his team allegedly made unapproved adjustments to his No. 12 Mustang.

Although Blaney tried gaining positions after that, his cool suit stopped working 15 laps into the race. This made driving a lot more challenging for the 31-year-old.

Thanks to crew chief Jonathan Hassler, topping off on fuel ahead of Stage 2 did the trick. Blaney fell seriously ill due to prolonged exposure to heat. His legs cramped, and the driver fell on his knees several times.

Speaking with Kim Coon during a post-race interview, Ryan Blaney said,

“It was hot. I flipped it on probably lap 15. I was like, ‘Oh, it’s going to be a long day, so... ' Was able to just keep going. Really proud of the whole 12 guys from starting in the back, making good ground.“

However, he delivered an impressive P3 at the Tricky Triangle. It marked his seventh top-five performance this year. Blaney currently ranks sixth in the driver standings with 503 points to his name.

Next up for Ryan Blaney is the Quaker State 400 at Echopark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway. Scheduled for this coming Saturday, June 28, the 260-lap race will be televised on TNT Sports. Fans can watch it live, 7 pm ET onwards, or listen to radio updates on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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 Tushhita Barua