As the engines rev and split-second strategy dictates outcomes, NASCAR’s most candid moments often come over the car radio, where frustration and focus collide in raw form. Ryan Blaney’s feisty radio exchanges have drawn as much attention as his driving, with passionate outbursts that some listeners mistake for a meltdown.

One of Blaney’s most infamous radio moments came during the 2024 Indianapolis Brickyard 400, where he felt robbed of a prime shot at victory. “There’s no way they should’ve let that go green. That’s ridiculous. They just gave it to him. It’s f—— over. I’m on the top. I ain’t gonna win from the top. Gave it to f—— golden boy. Son of a b—-.” And if there’s one thing Ryan Blaney isn’t apologizing for, it’s those passionate outbursts mid-race. Kyle Larson won, while Ryan Preece was still on the racetrack trying to get up and running. So, the Penske driver had all the reason to be frustrated, as it was a controversial finish to a crown jewel NASCAR race.

Yet he’s far from the only driver to vent mid-race. Tony Stewart’s terse admonitions during the 2011 championship finale and Kyle Busch’s 2025 Kansas Speedway rant, “This car sucks so bad. Thank you, NASCAR,” are part of unfiltered history. Love him or hate him, Ryan Blaney isn’t backing down. His radio outbursts may ruffle feathers, but at least he’s not wrecking people for wins, a rarity in today’s NASCAR. But when critics suggest he’s “losing his mind,” his own words tell a very different story.

Ryan Blaney defends his radio outbursts

On the radio, Ryan Blaney’s moments of frustration have drawn as much attention as he moves on the track. In Jeff Gluck’s 12 Questions feature, Blaney directly addressed the speculation. “I do it to myself a little bit, but if I have a little thing on the radio and I get frustrated, people are like, ‘Oh, he’s losing his mind.’ That’s not really the case. I have my 10 seconds of frustration, and I just have to let it out.” Rather than evidence of a meltdown, Blaney views those bursts as a necessary outlet, an acknowledgment that intense competition sometimes demands an unfiltered release.

This week’s 12 Questions interview is with @Blaney: https://t.co/XLs8Jfo7DW

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) June 25, 2025

He goes further, reminding critics that he’s hardly unique in his approach. “Listen to other guys, man. There are guys way worse than me. And it’s not me losing my mind. I just have to get it out, and it’s how I move on past things. If I don’t get it out, it just bundles up.” For context, during the February 2025 Ambetter Health 400, when, after contact with Carson Hocevar, Blaney got spun around on Lap 234, Blaney barked over the radio, “He’s just a moron.” Only to admit in 12 Questions that letting it out helped him refocus rather than simmer over what went wrong.

When Gluck remarked that it sounded like a pressure valve, Blaney agreed. “Yeah, man. The steam is building up, something happens and I just have to let it out. People are like, ‘Don’t push the (radio) button.’ It feels way better when you push the button. You have to let someone else hear it. But I just get it out, and then I’m back to where I need to be.” The good thing is that he is not a regular on NASCAR’s Radioactive release every week. But do not be surprised if you hear the #12 team scanner and hear the 2023 Cup Series champions screaming. That is his way of clearing his mind and focusing on his task.

Well, next on his agenda will be some unfinished business at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Last year’s fall race saw him finish runner-up to his teammate, so he will be pumped to enter this weekend’s racing action.

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Top contenders to win the Quaker State 400 race

Ryan Blaney’s recent history at Atlanta Motor Speedway underscores why he’s a top-three pick this weekend. Since 2022, he’s logged seven Cup starts here, including a runner-up spot in the Ambetter Health 400 by just 0.003 seconds and 3rd in the Quaker State 400 in 2024. His consistency, getting top 10 six times (top 5 four times) and an average finish of 6.7 since 2022, reflects his craft in pack racing on the 1.54-mile quad-oval, making him a clear favorite under the lights.

Joining Blaney at the top of the Atlanta leaderboard are Christopher Bell and William Byron. Bell’s overtime victory this February showed his composure on restarts. He led only the final lap but held off Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson under caution. Two top 5 finishes, including the win from earlier this year, the JGR star knows how to execute the race at this track.

Do not rule out a surprise win by Daniel Suarez. In his last five starts, he bagged three top 5s, which include two runner-up finishes in the fall race. So, this might be the big ticket race that might secure Suarez’s future at Trackhouse Racing, along with the playoffs qualification.