Deflated. That’s how Ryan Blaney felt when his No. 12 Ford limped towards pit road at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Lady Luck was not on the Ohio-native’s side at Sin City, as his race took a devastating turn on Lap 72 when the left front tire on his car went down while he was running 12th. Unable to maintain control, his vehicle veered into the outside wall, ending his day early. But not all is lost just yet.

Two races remain to turn his fate around. As things stand, Blaney sits at the bottom of the playoff standings, 31 points below the cutline. But Team Penske can never be ruled out, especially in the Next-Gen era. Sure, the DNF was a bitter blow for the 2023 Cup Series champ, but if anything, it has made Blaney more determined than ever.

Ryan Blaney is looking for redemption

With fixtures at Talladega and Martinsville on the horizon, Ryan Blaney still has a couple of opportunities to make up the ground. Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the No. 12 driver said, ” It’s definitely not ideal, but the fortunate news is we have two more races here to try to make up the points we need or try to win one of them, and I’m looking forward to that. I think we can do it. It’s just a matter of buckling down and just going to work every weekend, just like you normally do.”

Blaney entered the South Point 400 19 points above the cut line, but was forced to settle for a 38th-place finish. The situation grew even more dire as every other playoff driver managed to score stage points, deepening the blow to his championship hopes. This marks his eighth DNF of the 2025 season, but his first in the playoffs. The last time he failed to finish a race was back in mid-July at Sonoma Raceway.

However, there is a silver lining. And that lies on the tracks ahead, i.e., Talladega and Martinsville. The 31-year-old boasts 3 wins at Talladega and two at Martinsville. Still, unless his title rivals encounter similar setbacks, Blaney is now staring down a potential must-win scenario.

The 31-year-old added, “So I was looking forward to Talladega Monday morning. I told myself you can be upset about this on Sunday, but when you wake up Monday morning, you know, you’re going to look ahead and just try to figure out what’s the best job we can do this weekend.”

However, Blaney isn’t alone in the DNF mix at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Joining him is Hendrick Motorsport’s William Byron, who saw himself off in the most unfortunate way possible. The Hendrick Motorsports driver’s Las Vegas outing started with promise; he claimed stage one, led 55 laps in total, and at one point wrestled control from Kyle Larson after a well-timed pit stop.

But disaster struck later: Byron wobbled through turns 1 and 2 on lap 232, surrendering the lead to Larson. And just a few laps later, he slammed into the back of Ty Dillon, who was entering pit road off-cycle, bringing his day to an abrupt end at 36th, leading to frustrated reactions from fans. However, he still earned 19 points from the race and is in a better place than Ryan Blaney.

But Blaney isn’t letting this slip out of his hands. Recently, the No. 12 driver has sounded off on his source of inspiration heading into the last 3 races of the 2025 season.

Ryan Blaney channels Macho Man energy ahead of Talladega

Ryan Blaney is doubling down and drawing strength from unique sources, including WWE Hall of Famer ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage. He is determined to find the edge he needs, turning his Talladega run into a story of inspiration for fans and fellow drivers alike.

During this week’s media availability, Blaney was asked about a classic Randy Savage phrase that mirrors his current situation. Smiling, he quoted the legend himself: “unjustifiably in a position I’d rather not be in.” Blaney’s admiration for Savage runs deeper than simple fandom.

“I don’t think there is a person before or after him that could cut promos quite like that guy,” Blaney admitted, sharing that he often watches Savage’s old interviews just for fun, captivated by his charisma and one-of-a-kind mindset.

Embracing the wrestler’s iconic “cream rises to the top” philosophy, he plainly expressed hope that this same mentality will help him overcome the challenges of the Talladega weekend. He added, “I thought that was a perfect comparison to my situation, so, thank you, Mr. Savage.”

With three career victories already at Talladega’s daunting 2.66-mile superspeedway, Blaney understands that success here takes both guts and confidence and is ready to give it his all.