Ryan Blaney secured his position in the NASCAR Cup Round of 8 after winning the opening race of the Round of 12 playoffs Sunday at New Hampshire. This victory guarantees Blaney an automatic berth in the next playoff stage, allowing him to shift focus while other drivers remain on the bubble.
With two races still remaining in the Round of 12, Blaney can now concentrate on the upcoming semifinals. His win in Loudon not only reassures his advancement but also opens strategic opportunities to prepare for future circuits, including Kansas and Las Vegas.
Blaney’s Approach After Securing Advancement
Blaney expressed relief and optimism about winning early in the Round of 12.
“It is comforting [to have won at Loudon], right?”
he said.
“The dream deal is winning the first race of the round. So, to already know that you can focus on the first race of the next round a little bit earlier and maybe can experiment with something in the other two races to maybe help, like next week, maybe you try something at Kansas that might go better at Vegas, two mile-and-a-halfs. So it just gives you the options to do that.”
His comments reflect a strategic advantage: with the Round of 8 spot locked, Blaney can afford to test setups and strategies at Kansas, potentially gaining insights that will help in Las Vegas, which is the first race in the semifinals.
Despite this added flexibility, Blaney intends to maintain his usual preparation routine.
“As far as my prep work through the week and our team’s, that will stay the same. I try to keep that consistent,”
added the 31-year-old driver.
However, recognizing the value of remaining competitive, Blaney confirms that earning stage and playoff points in the upcoming races remains a priority.
“We’re still going to give max effort at Kansas and the Roval,”
he stated.
“The goal is to win every single week. We will not shy any attention away from Kansas or the Roval, but you might start working on Vegas a little bit earlier than you would, just knowing that you’re going to be in the Round of 8 there and getting ready for that place.”
Challenges Await at the Charlotte Roval
Following the Kansas race, the playoffs head to the Charlotte Roval, the only road course included in the 10-race playoff schedule. This venue presents a unique challenge where race strategy can be influenced heavily by playoff point calculations.
Blaney noted,
“The ROVAL gets interesting because, in that race, you’ll have guys going for points,”
particularly drivers who are near the cutoff line. Points earned at Charlotte could determine who advances to the Round of 8 or faces elimination.
Since Blaney’s spot is secure, he considers a different approach compared to those focused on points.
“I think we’re maybe in a unique spot to flip the stages and go try to win the race. I think that’s a little bit more of a play than points racing really.”
Meanwhile, Blaney’s teammates, Joey Logano and Austin Cindric, still need to secure their positions through either a win or accumulating enough points in the forthcoming contests.
Logano and Cindric’s Paths to Progression
Joey Logano, a three-time NASCAR Cup champion and defending titleholder with two wins in the last three championships, holds sixth place heading into Kansas. He sits 24 points above the cutoff, providing a modest cushion but leaving room for caution.
Reflecting on his recent performance, Logano said,
“We obviously got a ton of points today. I think we got a second and a first in the first two stages and a top four finish, so we did what we needed to do. We’re plus the cut line [but] I’d rather win. That’s just the greed in me [he said with a laugh].”
On the other hand, Austin Cindric faces more pressure as he currently ranks 10th in the standings, 19 points below the cutoff line. His situation demands strong finishes and point collections moving forward to stay in contention.
Cindric admitted,
“You’ve got to expect to want to run in the top 10 and get stage points to advance out of this round, so not everything we needed, but we’re still in the game. I think this weekend is proof. You can’t take anything for granted, but I don’t think we’re in a position to be desperate. We’ve just got to go out the next two weekends and do better than we did this weekend.”
He added,
“If we have a repeat of this weekend, it’s not gonna be enough to make it through. We’re capable of it and I believe in that. I feel good about Kansas.”
Implications and Next Moves in the NASCAR Playoffs
With Blaney having secured his progression to the Round of 8, attention now turns to how Joey Logano and Austin Cindric will navigate their remaining opportunities to qualify. Kansas and the Charlotte Roval remain critical battlegrounds where victories and stage points can define the postseason trajectory for many competitors.
Blaney’s ability to lock in early provides tactical flexibility, potentially giving him an edge in preparation and risk management as the playoffs intensify. This advantage enhances his prospects as the field moves toward Las Vegas, where the next round begins.
As the pressure mounts on all drivers, the next two weekends will be decisive in shaping who advances and who falls short in NASCAR’s fiercely contested championship series.
