Richard Petty Fires Shots at Ryan Blaney as He Shuts Down His Frustration: “You Gotta Be Careful”

In the world of racing, frustration can mount and may lead to some unpleasant outcomes. Especially in motorsports like NASCAR, where a championship holds a very high value, frustrations about a change in rules are obvious. The 2023 NASCAR Cup series saw an unusual turn in Phoenix when Ross Chastain won the race but wasn’t among the season’s championship contenders. 

Many fans and ex-NASCAR drivers came out and shared their disagreement with NASCAR’s final 4 format. The recent development involves legendary Richard Petty articulating his bit on the on-track events between Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain. Petty, known for his bold and blunt style, recently took to Instagram to address the incident and propounded some prudent advice to the new champion Blaney.

Richard Petty detailed the Phoenix weekend and shared his resentment

The Phoenix final race saw Ross Chastain lead 157 laps and win the race 1.230 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Ryan Blaney, who finished second but won the championship, tried to pass the Trackhouse Racing driver multiple times during the race. Yet, even after getting rammed by No. 12, the No. 1 car kept the lead. Frustrated by his disappearing hopes of finishing the race on top, Ryan Blaney pushed the No. 1 multiple times.

Richard Petty shared his bit on the same, as he answered a Facebook user’s question in a video that he also shared on Instagram. The 86-year-old said, “Hey, that’s racing, man, you know what I mean? If the one had been behind the 12, he got frustrated a little bit too. You’re racing with somebody, and you think they’re playing with you or messing you up, then you get frustrated with them, but it doesn’t take long to overcome that.”

“If you get lucky and go ahead and get by them, but a lot of time when you get frustrated with somebody and you’re the second man, you gotta be careful that when you get in front of that guy, that guy is not frustrated and comes back at you, so yeah, you get frustrated no matter what; it just happens to show it on TV that they got frustrated, but there was a bunch of people back in the back that got frustrated also”, he continued.

Petty’s post sparked some reactions from fans and followers. One of the followers expressed shock by stating, “I’m more shocked to hear a NASCAR official went to Ross’s spotter and asked him what he was doing! Duh… like trying to win the win … what HE was doing was trying to FIX the race! 😮 NASCAR needs to clean their house first before handing out penalties to everyone else…😮😮😮”. 

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While another user commented, “I didn’t watch the broadcast to the end. But I thought it was interesting that the TV narrative was immediately championship and minimal coverage of the race winner. They could have zoomed out to show both celebrations, but I guess it doesn’t support the narrative. I’m sure they got to Ross eventually, but I tuned out at the first commercial break.”

Since the veteran racer understands the dynamics of racing and the emotions that come with it, his opinions and advice to Blaney demonstrate his understanding of the sport’s competitive nature and the frustrations that can emerge during a race.

When Richard Petty’s son, Kyle shared opinions about Ryan Blaney

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Earlier this year, Kyle Petty compared Ryan Blaney to Kasey Kahne, indicating that Blaney’s potential was unfulfilled. However, Blaney suppressed and silenced his critics by winning his maiden NASCAR Cup Series Championship, proving his fortitude as a preeminent racer.

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Having said that, Petty’s rightly quoted words, “You gotta be careful”, and his advice to Ryan Blaney serve as a reminder to be cautious and composed in the high-octane world of racing that is filled with challenges and frustrating incidents on the track.