NASCAR
Was 2025 Ryan Blaney’s Breakout Cup Season?
“I’m very, very proud of our year,” Ryan Blaney said after winning the 2025 season finale from Phoenix. “I know we didn’t make this weekend, fighting for a championship. I felt like our team in ’24 was stronger than what we were in ’23. Then I feel like this year we were even better than what we were last year.”
As hard as it may be to believe, one could argue that Ryan Blaney saw his best season-long effort in 2025. Team Penske’s No. 12 Ford crew took a big evolutionary step forward, oftentimes being the strongest Mustang on a weekly basis. Blaney’s four 2025 victories are a career best, as are his 15 top-fives and 852 laps led. Where did this marked uptick in performance come from for the 2023 championship-winning team?
“Just camaraderie around the 12 car, all the guys working together, just building trust and belief in each other. That’s all I’ve always tried to look for, is how is our 15 or so guys operating together. Are we communicating well, giving all the effort we can be giving through the week and on the weekend. That part is just getting better and better. I’m really lucky to be part of such a great group with my 12 car, and also all of Team Penske. They’ve just done a fantastic job.”
Despite such banner numbers, Blaney still fell short of making a third-straight Championship 4 appearance. This was in large part caused by eight DNFs throughout the year. One of these early exits was the Round of 8 opener from Las Vegas. A blown tire that day ultimately put Blaney on his back foot. For the remainder of the semifinal Playoff round, the 12 faced a must-win situation.
Entering the Martinsville elimination race under this incredible pressure, Blaney almost pulled off the most clutch win. Even after starting 31st, the 12 found itself leading in the second half of the Xfinity 500. As late as lap 456, Blaney had the field covered in what would have been a third-straight fall Martinsville walk off win. Championship rival William Byron had other plans, however. The 24 gave the 12 a bump and run to claim this win and transfer onto Phoenix. Blaney was left wondering what could have been that day as a runner-up. In the end, knew Byron was also in a do-or-die scenario.
“Yes, I would have liked to have run for a championship. I understand, like, it just didn’t work out for us. We were great. I thought this team was great. It just didn’t really play out to where we had a shot at it. You have to live with that type of stuff.”
Skipping ahead to the finale at Phoenix, Blaney upset the four contenders by still finding victory lane as a Playoff spoiler. Amazingly, this was Blaney’s first ever Phoenix Raceway win, after finishing runner-up in the finale the last three years. Ironically, Blaney did not win here to claim his Cup championship two years ago. He now finds himself on the opposite end of this odd Playoff quirk, as a largely forgotten race winner.
“I’m very proud of this whole group. It’s great to go out with a win and carry some momentum into next year. We’ll look at some things that we think we can improve. Try to keep building better and better every single year. Whether it was a great year or a terrible year, you just try to get better.”
“I don’t know if [winning Phoenix] is like a huge relief off our shoulders. I’m just proud that we were in it today and this whole weekend and brought our best stuff. Even though we weren’t a part of the championship, we’re determined to try to end the year for Ford and Team Penske with a win. Fortunately we were able to do that. We did a great job.”
“[Phoenix fits] our short track program in general. I don’t think it’s no surprise to me that like here and Loudon and Martinsville and [North] Wilkesboro and all that stuff like we’ve really done a good job. It’s just kind of hits with our mindset. This is just one been one of those places through the years to where it’s fit our mold and been able to have some pretty good success here. All comes down to hard work by a lot of people who have really gotten their arms wrapped around a place like this.”
As mentioned above, Blaney’s versatility across track types and his ability to close out races both saw big gains in 2025. Nashville, New Hampshire, and Phoenix were all tracks that Blaney tamed for the first time this season. In addition to those wins, he capped off the regular season with a second career victory at Daytona International Speedway after an electric run to the finish.
“I think my group is just continuing to get better and that’s just relationships with people, trusting each other, building, you know, that camaraderie within your group is great. I’m so proud of the effort this year. And like I said, I mean, even though we didn’t make it this year like we had the last two years, I still feel like this was an even better year than we’ve put together in the past. Just how things have gone and their perseverance through a lot of issues, really speaks a lot. So yeah, really proud of the effort and can always be better. So hopefully we strive to be better for next year and see if we can get back, well not here again, but race for it in Miami.”
Following his Cup title run, I wrote that Blaney’s competitive ceiling was elevated and he should become a regular front-running man. In addition to the career best stats he set this year, Blaney was only one shy of equaling his most top-10s. In short, the 12 team has fulfilled their loftier expectations as a weekly contender across the Cup circuit. Perhaps the only blemish on an otherwise stellar season for Blaney were his eight DNFs, two of which being engine failures from the top-10. Having not only team-topping but manufacturer-best speed and performance across much of the season proved that Blaney may just be entering his prime competitive era.
What does the immediate future hold for Blaney and team 12 in 2026? Barring the expected championship format unveil, exact parameters are tough to focus in on for any potential contending driver. However, another multi-win season should lie ahead for the 12, with elite speed and performance at most racetracks. Nowhere would a breakout Blaney win be more celebrated than the Daytona 500. The Penske driver has yet to conquer The Great American Race after being painfully close many times. 2025 saw a massive shift in the career arc of Ryan Blaney, becoming Ford’s top dog through most of the season. Should this trend continue, then the established veteran may be a strong title threat regardless of how points are rewarded.
Written by Peter Stratta
Be sure to follow us on Twitter/X
Be sure to follow the writer on Twitter/X
Photo Credit to James Gilbert/Getty Images
