Ryan Blaney had a pretty tough time at Pocono Raceway. Even before the green flag dropped, last year’s winner started on the back foot after being demoted by NASCAR. His No. 12 crew was forced to replace the engine after qualifying, which relegated him to the back of the field at the 2025 The Great American Getaway 400. And to make matters worse, the Team Penske driver was still recovering after the trip to Mexico City.

Things didn’t get easier when the race began either. Blaney incurred a speeding penalty on the pit road, and the cooling system malfunctioned in his race suit. But despite it all, the 2023 Cup Series winner ended up third. Talk about getting a result against all odds, right?

Ryan Blaney is satisfied with the result

Ryan Blaney had his work cut out for him at the ‘Tricky Triangle’. Despite qualifying in 20th place on Saturday, he was sent to the back because of ‘unapproved adjustments,’ becoming one of six drivers to get the penalty. But that didn’t dampen his spirits one bit. Rising up to the challenge, the Team Penske driver put the pedal to the metal, slowly gaining track positions as the laps ticked on. And his No. 12 Ford showed lightning-fast pace at the 2.5-mile tri-oval, and he even ended up eighth in Stage 2.

Sharing his thoughts with Sports on Prime, Ryan Blaney told journalist Kim Coon, “I mean, obviously I would have liked to have won. But, I think after having to start in the back and then the mistake I made, I feel like we covered really well and our car was fast enough to do it. Overall, I feel like we definitely made the most of our day. Just a little bit extra would have been 1 or 2 spots better. Overall, really really proud of the #12 team.”

Blaney didn’t make it easy for himself. Starting from the rear was one setback, but he was also caught speeding on the pit road, which further added to his misery. To make matters worse, his cooling system malfunctioned early on in the race, forcing the 31-year-old to race under really difficult conditions. But he soldiered on, and by Lap 103, he passed Josh Berry in Turn 2 to take fifth place and soon overtook Chase Elliott for fourth as well.

On a track where overtaking was notoriously difficult because of dirty air, Ryan Blaney displayed a masterclass. He even battled Denny Hamlin briefly for second place on Lap 131, before being cleared by the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran on Turn 2. Eventually, he finished the race in third place, 1.063 seconds off the lead under very challenging circumstances. Giving credit where it’s due, he later said, “Jonathan and the whole #12 team did a good job of kind of figuring out what to do after my mistake. I just kind of stuck really there in the end.”

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Blaney looked worse for wear at Pocono Raceway

Ryan Blaney looked utterly exhausted when the checkered flag was waved at Pocono Raceway. The Team Penske driver nearly collapsed after exiting his No. 12 Ford and was promptly escorted by the medical staff to the infield care center. His cool suit, which pumps chilled liquid through tubes, failed in Lap 15, and with temperatures often exceeding 140°F (60°C), the racer had to tough it out for the rest of the evening without any relief.

Revealing Blaney’s condition after the race, NASCAR journalist Colin Ward said, “Ryan Blaney fell to his knees multiple times after the race, and stayed down for a while, clearly exhausted. He got up briefly to do a TV interview and went back down. He stayed down, waiting for the AMR Safety team, and road off to the care center on a golf cart. Looked like his legs were cramping — more than likely dehydration.”

With a week to go before the next Cup Series race, Ryan Blaney will be getting some much-needed rest before heading to EchoPark Speedway. Living life in the fast lane can be exhausting, a lesson the Ohio native learned the hard way at Pocono. But now, he’ll look to pick himself up, dust himself off, before aiming for the win at the 2025 Quaker State 400.