Ryan Blaney confronted the label of being “too nice” after a tense airport incident where he clashed with a passenger who accused him of cutting the boarding line. The Team Penske driver shared the story amid a season marked by several on-track confrontations and frustrations.
This season, Blaney has been involved in multiple challenging moments on the track, including a recent clash with Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson at the Enjoy Illinois 300 in Gateway. Larson’s unprovoked move resulted in Blaney being turned over, yet he managed to finish the 240-lap race in fourth place despite the setback.
Following the race, Blaney expressed his belief that the aggressive action from Larson was undeserved, though he promised to remember it going forward. His struggles this year extend beyond that incident; he has recorded seven DNFs, including one at Sonoma Raceway where he was forced off the track by Chris Buescher and later involved in a crash caused by Larson’s spin, ending his day prematurely.
On the latest episode of the Casuals with Katie Nolan podcast, Blaney was questioned on whether being “too nice” hurt his racing career. He recounted his experience earlier that day at the airport, which illustrated that he’s willing to stand up for himself when pushed.
“Someone was an a**hole to me at the airport this morning. They were boarding and this guy is standing, you know how people crowd the entry, but he wasn’t in line, he was kind of in line. So, I just kind of went around him and it’s my turn to board and i’m going but apparently he was in line, and the guy was like, ‘look at that guy, just so priveleged.’,”
he said.
—Ryan Blaney
“And I had headphones on but they weren’t on so I heard him. He knew I was hearing him and I turned around I said, ‘buddy if you’re in line, stand like you’re in line’, and I let him go in front of me. That’s probably as rude as I would get,”
he added.
—Ryan Blaney
Austin Cindric Reflects on Larson’s Move Against Blaney
Blaney’s teammate, Austin Cindric, recently shared his perspective on the incident involving Larson during a discussion on the Door Bumper Clear podcast. Cindric acknowledged Larson’s own admission that he made a mistake by overdriving but made it clear that this did not fully resolve the issue for Blaney.
“He’ll (Larson) overdrive his car and make a mistake,…he’s pretty brutally honest when it comes to things (like that), but if you’re Ryan, that still doesn’t satisfy things,”
Cindric said [36:20 onwards].
—Austin Cindric
Currently, Blaney sits fifth in the playoff standings, holding a 42-point lead above the cutline. He entered the playoffs seeded fourth after winning the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway. However, his playoff start has been disappointing, as demonstrated by an 18th-place finish at Darlington, where Cindric was Penske’s highest finisher in 12th place.
Upcoming Challenge at Bristol Motor Speedway
Blaney is preparing for the third round of the playoffs, which takes place at Bristol Motor Speedway, an intense, high-banked oval track. In his previous race at Bristol, he finished fifth, showcasing competitiveness despite recent setbacks.
The 500-lap showdown is scheduled for Saturday, September 13, at 7:30 p.m. ET, representing a critical opportunity for Blaney to regain momentum and improve his position as the playoffs progress. His performance at Bristol will be closely watched as he balances the pressures of a tough season with his determination to prove that being respectful does not equal weakness.
