Blaney Looks for Redemption in Return to the Brickyard 400

By David Morgan, Associate Editor

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – When drivers carry the Team Penske name into Indianapolis Motor Speedway, there is added pressure to deliver for team owner Roger Penske, who also owns the famed 2.5-mile oval.

None know that more than Ryan Blaney, who came agonizingly close to winning in the return to the Brickyard 400 a year ago before circumstances at the end of the race forced him to have to settle for a third-place finish.

Blaney noted on Friday after practice was rained out that Team Penske as a whole has had this race circled on their calendar, not only because of who owns the place, but also due to what happened to the No. 12 team this time last year.

“That one cut me deep. That was just a bummer situation,” said Blaney.

“But no, I look forward to getting back here. Obviously, a huge weekend for us being here with RP and everybody and hopefully we can bring the same speed and try to contend. I don’t know, would’ve liked to know what we had today and obviously you’re not going to get the chance, but see what maybe they do something tomorrow. But yeah, it’s nice to come back.

“We have this place circled on our calendar every year, just we know what it means to him and all the team Penske, so it’d be nice to hopefully make it up.”

He added that he has not been able to bring himself to rewatch the end of last year’s Brickyard 400 given the way that race played out from him being in the catbird seat to win to his eventual third-place finish.

“I watched it. I didn’t watch the last restart. Everything up to there, I watched it. I normally, I watch every race before we go back to it, but last restart, I turned it off,” Blaney explained.

“Just crappy circumstances. That’s the only thing that stands. It’s like, yeah, the rule’s the rule, and that’s just what it is. That part is separate. It just hurts a lot to go back and watch it. We were in a great spot to win, and that’s just the way it goes sometimes.

“And sometimes things don’t go in your favor or the timing of things just don’t work out, and so that’s really the only reason it hurts. I’m not mad at the rule or anything. It was just crappy, the circumstances.”

Another impetus for Blaney to be able to score the win on Sunday for Team Penske would be the redemption for his team owner, given all of the drama surrounding the organization’s IndyCar operation and the scandal that the team found itself embroiled in during the Indianapolis 500 in May.

“I mean that was an unfortunate situation for everybody and I hated that RP had to take the brute force of that because all he’s done for the sport,” said Blaney. “Honestly, it kind of ticked me off all the stuff that I was reading about people saying about Roger in that situation. It’s like, this guy’s done so much for the series and this race track and things like that. And he as always took the high road and everything like that. Just that’s his nature.

“But it is important. I mean, I don’t think there’s any more importance of doing well just from what happened in May. I think it’s just that’s a common thing here when we come here of trying to do well for him and trying to be on the racetrack with Roger after the race, kissing the bricks, so we’ll see if we can make it happen.”

With one win to his resume in 2025 (Nashville), it has been an up and down season for the No. 12 team, which currently sits seventh in the points standings with the regular season winding down.

Following Sunday’s race at the Brickyard, Blaney heads to Iowa Speedway, where he scored the victory in the inaugural race a year ago.

He explained that his team is in a prime position with the way the rest of the season lays out, if they can avoid some of the bad luck that has plagued them at times through the first 21 races of the season.

“Hopefully goes well,” Blaney said of his outlook for the remainder of the year. “Been really proud of our speed this year. I think we’ve had some great pace and haven’t really finished as many of ’em as I would’ve liked. I just try to always look at where’s our speed at? Is that going well? It is. Is our team working together properly and they’re doing a great job.

“Bad finishes are bad finishes and stuff we sometimes can’t control. But I think our group is really firing on all cylinders right now. I think we got the pace to do it and the teamwork to do it, and our pit crew’s in a great spot.

“So, just hope that that stays the same and things smoothen out a little bit. It’s been an up and down year, but one thing I think has stayed constant is the speed that we’ve been bringing and I hope that continues.”