The Team Penske star has done it again! Ryan Blaney has been stringing together strong performances in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series, sitting with 29 starts, 3 wins, 13 top-5 finishes, and 17 top-10s. One of those wins came in August at Daytona International Speedway. But this time he has done it at Loudon, New Hampshire, finally holding Loudon the Lobster, which he wanted to get his hands on for quite some time now, admitting, “I’ve always wanted to hold the lobster (in Victory Lane) ever since I was a kid.” But more than the win, he avoided clashing with his teammate, Josh Berry, like one very crucial wreck that took place earlier in the race.

A heated moment cut through the playoff tension at NHMS when Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs tangled on Lap 111 of the Mobil 1 301. Hamlin, vying for crucial points, tapped Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota, pushing him into the outside wall during the Stage 2 battle, ending the latter’s race as he was relegated to a 35th-place finish. Gibbs later radioed calmly, “It’s unfortunate, but I’m excited to go race next week, and looking forward to it.” But all eyes are now on Blaney as he locks into the Round of 8.

Ryan Blaney credits teammate’s respect in hard-fought battle

Ryan Blaney claimed his 3rd win of the season and 16th career Cup win at the Magic Mile, leading 116 laps and holding off strong challenges from Josh Berry to win by 0.973 seconds. Blaney’s post-race radio message perfectly captured the intensity and excitement of the day: “Ah, hell yeah, fellas! Oh, my God, I’m exhausted. Great f—g car, guys.” The Team Penske driver credited his crew extensively for the performance, saying, “Super fast car all weekend. So I can’t believe the 12 boys. They’re unbelievable. Really have been strong through the playoffs and it’s great to get a win. First race of this round. So I appreciate Menards… Thanks to Magic Body Armor. Everybody who makes this possible, man. And thank you guys for being here. I really appreciate it.” 

The race itself tested Blaney‘s skill and composure as he battled his own teammate, Josh Berry, for the lead. Blaney spoke about the last lap tension, “I pulled Josh a little bit, and then he really started coming. I started to get super free, and it was all I could do to hold him off and try new lanes. That was good racing and clean racing. I praise Josh for not throwing me the bumper when he could have. But what a cool day, what a cool weekend.” 

When asked about racing against a teammate, he added, “I expect him to go out and try to win the race. And I knew he wasn’t going to play over for me, but I figured we were going to. I didn’t think I was ever going to get the bumper. We raced just super clean, but I mean, I would do the same if I was him, right? You go try to win the race. So that’s what this deal is all about. And luckily, gosh, it just hung out a little bit better than it is. But for a while it was, man, it was stressful and worn out. But overall, what a cool weekend and look forward to going to Kansas next week.” Ryan Blaney has now capped off a Penske-dominated weekend to advance himself into Round 3 of the NASCAR Playoffs.

Adding a heartwarming twist, Blaney’s nephew, Bodhi, who had earlier taken over Team Penske‘s radio channel at the Bristol Night Race, and asked him to win the race, was mentioned in his speech, saying, “I might have to have him get on the radio more often. But yeah, happy. I know Louie and Bodhi are watching. So, buddy, we did it a week later, but I’m happy we could do it. In front of all these fans here.” 

His nephew had hijacked the team radio in the middle of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway during a caution period, speaking to Blaney, saying, “Hi, Uncle Ryan. Win this race,” drawing laughter from the No. 12 camp and Blaney himself. The lighthearted moment quickly spread among fans, who loved seeing the family connection shine through. Blaney added to the fun, saying, “Mom. Get Bodie off the scanner. He found Gianna’s scanner in the bus. Found out how to turn it on. Pretty smart,” a moment that might just have been a lucky charm for Blaney this weekend.

Ryan Blaney’s battle against Toyota’s New Hampshire stronghold

In recent years, Toyota had ruled NHMS, with Christopher Bell and Martin Truex Jr. combining for 3 straight victories since 2022. Bell’s rain-soaked win in 2024 highlighted Toyota’s strength, while Martin Truex Jr. added a 2023 triumph, cementing the brand’s dominance on the Magic Mile. Even Denny Hamlin had admitted, “It’s so big for everyone at Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. The Progressive Toyota was great there at the end. So happy to get this victory.”

Ryan Blaney, however, entered the 2025 Mobil 1 301 with momentum and determination. Reflecting on his past heartbreak at Loudon, he previously mentioned on SiriusXM, “I really enjoy New Hampshire. I love the area. It’s gorgeous up there, especially in September, everything’s starting to change, and the fans up here are just incredibly passionate about Motorsports.”

The return to New Hampshire to playoff prominence fueled Blaney’s optimism before the race. “I’m happy they got a playoff race that New Hampshire got a playoff race because that’s the way it was for a while … and it’s nice that it’s back cause I feel like that place puts on a good show, and the track’s gotten pretty wide,” he explained. Little did he know that this time victory would be within his grasp and the great Loudon trophy in his hands.