As the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series rolls into its grueling summer stretch, drivers are being tested not just by the competition but by the toll of back-to-back challenges across vastly different tracks, and one Team Penske star has experienced it firsthand. Ryan Blaney has entered the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season showcasing both speed and resilience behind the wheel of the #12 Team Penske Ford. He kicked off the year by securing the pole at the Ambetter Health 40 at Texas Motor Speedway in March, impressing with a blistering qualifying lap of 30.908 seconds at over 179 mph. Throughout the spring, he amassed multiple top-5 and top-10 finishes, firmly positioning himself as a championship contender.
But in mid-June, as the Cup Series made its first return to Mexico City for the Viva Mexico 250 since 1958, Blaney showed early pace by running in the Top 5 through the first two stages, but ended his day with a modest 14th-place finish. But that ending marked the beginning of another summer weekend at Pocono, where Blaney rebounded with a strong performance at The Great American Getaway 400. Starting at the back due to post-qualifying adjustments, he overcame a failed cooling suit in the sweltering cockpit and a speeding penalty to drive to a gritty 3rd-place finish. But post-race, many drivers revealed that some, including Blaney himself, were still suffering from dehydration and illness following the Mexico race, which clearly took its toll at Pocono. Despite these adversities, Blaney candidly spoke about ‘recovering’ from the heatwave and preparing for the upcoming challenges on track.
Blaney’s Pocono podium came at a steep physical price
In an interview with reporter Peter Stratta, Blaney revealed that the Pocono week was one of the worst times he had raced, as the temperatures were far beyond normal, and technical failures just made the situation worse. “It was definitely probably up there with some of the worst I’ve felt,” said Blaney. “I think it was just a multitude of things. I was kind of recovering from Mexico. I was just kind of down a little bit that week and just lacked, I was off my normal routine.”
The 2023 Cup Series champion woke up on race day feeling physically off, and what was meant to be NASCAR’s historic international return turned into a personal endurance test for the Team Penske driver. Though Blaney showed a competitive pace throughout the event, he was clearly struggling with illness during the race. Behind the wheel, he wasn’t just managing tires or track position; he was fighting through severe stomach discomfort that had started earlier that morning.
The situation took a humorous turn among fans and reporters when it became clear just how uncomfortable Ryan Blaney was feeling, especially while wearing a white fire suit under high temperatures and physical stress. His bout of stomach issues became a talking point among NASCAR insiders, as even other drivers like Noah Gragson reported to be sick and jokingly posted, “125 odds I myself today in the race. Don’t drink the tap water.”
.@Blaney says that Pocono last week was one of the worst times he’s felt physically post-race, saying it was hot and he was getting over an illness from Mexico.
Blaney also talks about racing against @CarsonHocevar in this week’s In Season Challenge debut. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/G3EKmqhJcj
— Peter Stratta (@peterstratta) June 27, 2025
The Mexico race proved to be a mental and physical challenge in more ways than one, turning a standard race weekend into a survival story. But an even greater challenge had been awaiting them the following week at Pocono. “It was hot in Pocono, my cool shirt didn’t work,” Blaney continued. “So I think it was just a multitude of stuff. I had five minutes to cool off, but that was just the biggest thing for me. That was a little warm one, but you get better and you move on.”
Blaney had to fight tooth and nail at Pocono Raceway, as challenges came at him from every angle. After qualifying 20th, he was one of the 6 drivers sent to the back of the grid due to unapproved adjustments. Yet Blaney managed to show resilience and pace and surged through the field, climbing into the Top 10 by Stage 2 and finishing 8th in that segment. But the race wasn’t just about track position; it was about a true physical test. The Team Penske driver was also caught speeding on pit road mid-race, which dropped him back once more.
As if all this wasn’t enough, his cool shirt system failed just 15 laps in, forcing him to endure extreme heat for the remainder of the race. By Lap 103, he had climbed into the Top 5, passing Josh Berry and Chase Elliott in quick succession, and even engaged in a spirited battle with Denny Hamlin for 2nd place on Lap 131 before eventually settling for a hard-fought 3rd.
The brutal heat and lack of cooling took their toll, and he nearly collapsed while exiting his car, visibly dehydrated and cramping. NASCAR journalist Colin Ward even described the scene, saying, “Ryan Blaney fell to his knees multiple times after the race, and stayed down for a while, clearly exhausted. He got up briefly to do a TV interview and went back down. He stayed down, waiting for the AMR Safety team, and rode off to the care center on a golf cart. Looked like his legs were cramping, more than likely dehydration.”
Now, just before the next Cup Series stop at EchoPark Speedway, Blaney is looking better and back in shape, as he is ready to prove once again that champions compete to their fullest even when everything is working against them.
Ryan Blaney adds to NASCAR power debate
Ryan Blaney isn’t usually the loudest voice in the NASCAR garage, but when the reigning Cup Series champion speaks up about the sport’s most pressing technical issue of horsepower and aero, people listen. With drivers like Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Kevin Harvick and even veterans like Richard Petty already venting their frustrations, Blaney added his name to the growing list demanding change. In an interview with The Athletic, the Team Penske driver delivered a short yet cutting verdict on the current state of the Cup Series rules package, saying, “I wish it was a little bit better.” While delivered almost sarcastically, the message behind his words was clear: drivers are tired of feeling stuck.
Blaney elaborated on how the racing product has shifted, highlighting that while Cup cars officially carry more horsepower than their Xfinity counterparts, they feel significantly more restricted on track. “Obviously, I wish it was a little bit better. You’re always going to want something better. Obviously, the horsepower thing is a no-brainer. I wish we got back up in there,” he explained. His problem isn’t just with raw power output but how aerodynamics and underbody components like diffusers have made the cars too stable in traffic.
“But the Xfinity (Series) cars have less horsepower than we have, and I wish we could (do what they do)—and we could do this with the old car. I wish you could get people loose on the left rear again,” he continued, recalling how older generation cars allowed for more dynamic, side-by-side racing.
With NASCAR officials now openly discussing a potential horsepower bump to 750 on short tracks, Blaney’s remarks aren’t just another driver complaint, but they echo a rising chorus from both competitors and engineers seeking to restore the edge that once defined stock car racing.
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