Ryan Blaney expressed a relaxed attitude toward the upcoming NASCAR In-Season Challenge, indicating that he is not overly focused on his seeding as the competition approaches. Speaking ahead of the official start, Blaney emphasized that he’s keeping his attention on the races themselves rather than the seed rankings.
During a discussion with Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Blaney explained that the seeding hadn’t been a priority for him until very recently. The Team Penske driver shared that throughout the Michigan and Mexico race weekends, he hadn’t considered his position in the In-Season Challenge standings.
“Michigan weekend, I wasn’t really thinking about it, this last weekend in Mexico, I wasn’t really thinking about it until like last night,” Blaney said. “I saw like NASCAR insights or whatever does that like put up a seeding as of right now and get where everyone finished, and where they be seeded you know, finish well to try it.”
—Ryan Blaney, NASCAR driver
Blaney also pointed out that seeding might not play as significant a role in the first race at Atlanta, suggesting that only the very top seeds might benefit marginally. He emphasized that the unpredictable nature of the Atlanta race reduces the impact that seeding could have on performance.
“I mean I don’t really think the seeding thing is a huge deal, especially when you go to Atlanta. The first race, I mean, anything can happen there, unless you’re maybe like first or second seed, I don’t know if it’ll really matter much for Atlanta being in the first race but yeah, I think definitely be more aware of it this weekend,” the Penske driver further added.
—Ryan Blaney, NASCAR driver
Overview of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge format and participating drivers
The 2025 season will mark the debut of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge, a new tournament where 32 full-time Cup Series drivers will compete for a $1 million prize. Several drivers, including Shane Van Gisbergen, Cole Custer, Riley Herbst, and Cody Ware, did not qualify for this event.
The competition will be held across five tracks—Atlanta Motor Speedway, Chicago Street Course, Sonoma Raceway, Dover Motor Speedway, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway—each of which will also host regular Cup Series races in the corresponding weekends.
Blaney praises NASCAR’s innovation in boosting competition excitement
Beyond downplaying the seeding, Ryan Blaney voiced appreciation for NASCAR’s move to introduce this fresh format to the sport. On the “Rubbin is Racing” podcast, he highlighted how the In-Season Challenge adds an extra competitive element for drivers while engaging a broader audience.
“I think it’s been really well received by the drivers and everybody. It’s been genius because now you have drivers who compete every weekend, but you’re also competing for something else, like being the best guy who can market the sport and draw more eyes, or new eyes, to it.”
—Ryan Blaney, NASCAR driver
As a contender in the upcoming tournament, Blaney’s exact seeding remains undisclosed, but his recent success positions him as a strong participant. He secured his place in the 2025 NASCAR playoffs by winning the Nashville Cup race and was the runner-up in last season’s overall standings.
Implications ahead of the Pocono weekend
Although Blaney remains unconcerned about how much seeding will affect the early stages of the In-Season Challenge weekend at Atlanta, the competition gains momentum as it progresses to Pocono Raceway. With the new stakes involved and a significant prize on the line, drivers are expected to calibrate their strategies carefully. Blaney’s calm stance may signal confidence in focusing on race execution rather than the pre-race rankings, potentially reflecting a broader mindset across drivers facing this novel format.