As the 2025 season has been flagged off, the spotlight is on the top OEMS. The Clash just witnessed Chevrolet toppling Toyota’s dominance. Martin Truex Jr. won the race in 2023, and Denny Hamlin in 2024 – now Chase Elliott won the 2025 Cook Out Clash, establishing Chevy’s stronghold early. Yet the third OEM is not so far off in performance. Ford seems to be reversing the 2024 trend with Ryan Blaney.

Last year, Ford started the season weak. Ryan Blaney was the only one fetching decent race finishes, while the 2024 Cup Series champion Joey Logano was lagging – he started to catch up only after the quintuple overtime race win in Nashville. In 2025, however, Team Penske is showing a vast improvement.

Ryan Blaney leads the way in Penske’s power

Well, we already know what a formidable force Team Penske became at the end of 2024. Joey Logano overcame the most impossible odds. After miraculously getting back into the Round of 8, he immediately responded with a win that pushed him towards the Cup title. Ryan Blaney was close behind him, as his wins at Iowa, Pocono, and Martinsville earned him second place in the championship standings. That helped him at Bowman Gray – despite failing to win the Last Chance Qualifier, he still got a Clash spot based on his points finish. However, Blaney had even exited early because of a mechanical problem and when the Cook Out Clash race was flagged off, Blaney occupied the 23rd spot.

Despite these great odds stacked together, the No. 9 Ford group worked hard together. It continued Team Penske’s trend from the end of 2024. While drivers lost patience and bumped into each other, Ryan Blaney moved forward with the help of his spotter. By lap 127, he got close to the front-row runners. And by lap 151, he had passed Denny Hamlin to grab the second spot which he clung to till the end. Post-race, Blaney tipped his hat to his team: “It’s more fun from my seat when you’re going forward. The 12 boys were getting better throughout the weekend.”

Ryan Blaney’s supreme confidence in his team, despite finishing 2nd, shows how prepared Penske is for the season to come. After winning every single championship in the Next-Gen era, it’s no surprise to see Blaney rise from to 2nd place despite starting at the back of the grid. So even though Chase Elliott and HMS got the win, Blaney’s drive is a sign for the Cup Series season to come.

Ryan Blaney put on a jaw-dropping show and could have won the Clash. His loss was due to Chase Elliott‘s relentless pole run. That is why the Team Penske driver hailed his Hendrick Motorsports rival with equal aplomb. “I had a blast … Being able to get to second and race hard with Chase there, I just didn’t quite have enough grip at the end, but it was a blast.” NASCAR came back to the iconic ‘Madhouse’ after 54 years, and the Cook Out Clash lived up to the wild hype. Blaney beamed at getting this opportunity: “Yeah, 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.”

Ryan Blaney also sees the Clash as a gateway to NASCAR’s expansion.

Hyping up the exhibition race

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Since NASCAR unveiled the Clash race in 1979, it has hosted the event as a warm-up for the main Cup Series schedule. That makes the Clash ideal for drivers to exercise their driving skills before switching on their battle mode. On the other hand, it also makes the event ideal for venue experiments. NASCAR installed Musco lights and SAFER barriers to Bowman Gray, but what if it shifts to another venue altogether? That is what Ryan Blaney hopes for, as he sees huge potential in NASCAR going international for the Clash. Talk about Europe, Asia, or the Middle East – the world is a big place.

Ryan Blaney put forward his views recently, “Yeah, I mean I said it earlier, this is the perfect race you have a chance to move it around. Go to different parts of the country, maybe even outside of the USA, to give a different part of the, an area and a fanbase something to watch. NASCAR and Cup cars in general.” NASCAR has already grown wings – it will hold its first points-paying Cup race in Mexico City this year. Even Chase Elliott espouses Blaney’s views: “I know we’re kind of testing the waters a little bit with the Mexico City thing this year, but I think the real test would be going overseas. And this race would be a good opportunity to do something like that…wouldn’t be, you know, committing to a points race.”

NASCAR has no plans of taking the Clash overseas yet. Nevertheless, Ryan Blaney is faring pretty well back home, and waving the Team Penske flag proudly.