Ryan Blaney put up a valiant fight in the closing laps at Bowman Gray Stadium, but ultimately, he fell short of taking the checkered flag in NASCAR’s season-opening Clash, finishing second behind Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott. The 2023 Cup Series champion was right on Elliott’s tail in the final stretch but lacked the grip needed to make a clean pass.
🛞 ‘I Just Didn’t Have Enough Right Rear’
Blaney admitted post-race that his Team Penske Ford was evenly matched with Elliott’s Chevrolet, but his tires were fading at the wrong time.
🗣 Blaney on His Late-Race Struggles:
“I think we were pretty evenly matched. But yeah, when I started to go, I just didn’t have enough right rear, and I’m like… I don’t—I’m not gonna make this pass right like it.”
As the laps wound down, Blaney knew he had two options: either outpace Elliott cleanly or use the bumper to move him out of the way—a typical short-track maneuver. But the Team Penske driver wasn’t about to send Elliott into the wall in front of a passionate, sellout Bowman Gray crowd.
🗣 Blaney (with a laugh):
“I’m not gonna bulldog him into him and get chased out of here with pitchforks. So, you know…”
His comments cracked up his teammate Joey Logano, who was standing next to him during the media session.
🎭 A Show for the Fans at the Madhouse
Despite falling short of victory, Blaney took pride in the show he and Elliott put on for the Winston-Salem fans, who packed the historic Bowman Gray Stadium for NASCAR’s first visit to the track in over five decades.
🗣 Blaney on the race’s entertainment factor:
“That’s a fun time. I hope the fans enjoyed it. That was a really good show. Happy we could come to Bowman Gray and put on a great race for everybody.”
⏭️ Will NASCAR Return to Bowman Gray?
Blaney’s enthusiastic comments echo the general sentiment coming from the garage after NASCAR’s wild return to the quarter-mile bullring. With close-quarters racing, heated tempers, and a sold-out crowd, The Clash at Bowman Gray delivered everything NASCAR could have hoped for.
The real question is: Will The Clash return in 2026, or could Bowman Gray even land a points-paying race in the future? If the drivers’ reactions are any indication, this trip to “The Madhouse” won’t be the last.
