Ryan Blaney will have bittersweet memories of the 2024 Xfinity 500. The Team Penske driver had managed to pull off a clutch result in the penultimate race of the season, his third Cup Series win of the year that guaranteed a playoff spot. The 31-year-old needed a triumph at Martinsville Speedway to make it to Championship 4, and that’s exactly what he did, overturning a 38-point gap to remain in contention for the Bill France Cup. Unfortunately for him, the performance was overshadowed by ‘race manipulation’ allegations.

Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon, and Bubba Wallace were found guilty of the infringement, with fines and suspensions being issued as a consequence to their actions. In light of the controversy, NASCAR has changed its race manipulation rules ahead of the 2025 season, prompting Blaney to share his thoughts.

NASCAR’s rule changes add uncertainty for Cup Series drivers

It’s no secret that Ford drivers have traditionally helped each other excel on the racetrack. At the 2017 Talladega Spring Race, Roush Fenway’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski worked together, despite competing in opposing teams. Since both the racers were competing under the Ford umbrella, their teamwork ensured that Stenhouse Jr. secured his first Cup Series triumph in the race, while Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford finished third.

That race isn’t the only time Ford drivers have teamed up, as Ryan Blaney (Team Penske) and Kurt Busch (Stewart-Haas Racing) also working together at the 2018 Daytona 500 to great success. However, under the new NASCAR rules, drivers from different teams collaborating on the track may fall under race manipulation, prompting Blaney to say, “It’s tough. What is race manipulation and what is working together as a team like at a superspeedway?”

After the controversy at Martinsville Speedway last year, NASCAR has decided to make changes to their race manipulation penalties from 2025 and beyond. The sanctioning body will now blame the manufacturers should such a case occur again, which means they could risk losing manufacturer points, wind tunnel hours and even RCFD runs. The sport’s hierarchy has even changed the 100% rule, which requires drivers to compete to the best of their ability to secure the highest finish they can on the track. Admittedly, the rule is now more clear about not manipulating the outcome of the race.

However, does that mean that drivers across teams will stop helping each other, despite having the same manufacturer? It’s likely, given NASCAR’s strict stance on the race manipulation rules. While the decision was a necessary step to preserve the integrity of the sport, it has also blurred the lines between what might be considered ‘teamwork’ and ‘race manipulation’, which might force drivers and team owners to adopt a ‘safe than sorry’ approach. It will be interesting to see if the sanctioning body is forced to implement these rules in 2025 and whether they will create controversy within the motorsports community.

Ryan Blaney happy about NASCAR’s race manipulation crackdown

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Ryan Blaney is a man on a mission. The Team Penske driver narrowly missed out on securing back-to-back Cup Series championships in 2024 after finishing runner-up at Phoenix Raceway to teammate Joey Logano. The No. 12 Ford driver will look back on his season like it was a missed opportunity but will aim to make amends this time around. With his insatiable desire to succeed stronger than ever before, the Ohio native is unsurprisingly happy at NASCAR’s rules changes concerning race manipulation, as it would mean less controversy on the racetrack.

When asked if race manipulation can occur at the upcoming Daytona 500, the 2023 Cup Series winner said, “I think there have been some weird occasions that it’s really blown out of proportion. Some more egregious than others like the Martinsville thing, but the Speedway stuff, I don’t think you’re going to see anything that egregious. You’re not going to see people running four-wide to stop a track up.” Blaney went on to say, “I’m happy NASCAR cracked down on it. You have to have penalties for this stuff if it’s that egregious.”

Ryan Blaney will aim to start his Cup Series campaign by doing something he has never done before. Win the Daytona 500. The Team Penske racer will want to hit the ground running when the NASCAR season resumes once again, and secure early wins to automatically qualify for the playoffs before the pressure piles up. Given his team’s dominance, especially during the Next-Gen era, it’s well within the realm of possibility that the Ohio native could make it to the Championship 4 for a third year in a row.