“Easy with it. Take care of your tires here,” spotter Kevin Hamlin told Alex Bowman over the radio on the final lap at Charlotte. A strange message, considering Bowman was less than two miles from the checkered flag. Under normal circumstances, Bowman would be pushing hard to get every position he could before the race finished. But what looked like a routine call quickly turned into one of the most debated moments of the NASCAR playoffs.

Bowman’s decision to ease up, seemingly to avoid hurting fellow Chevrolet driver Ross Chastain’s playoff hopes, has reignited the age-old debate about manufacturer influence and “team orders” in a sport built on individual competition. And while fans and pundits lit up social media with claims of manipulation, Ryan Blaney isn’t shying away from giving his honest take on the controversy.

Ryan Blaney calls out race manipulation

Ryan Blaney didn’t mince words as controversy erupted around race manipulation at Charlotte Roval. The Team Penske star driver cited the example of last year’s Martinsville playoff race. “I don’t think you ever want to get into that, like, and there was manipulation at Martinsville across the board. There was what happened on the last lap there.”

If you remember, team orders and strategic blocking influenced the playoff outcome in that race. Chevrolet drivers Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain acted as a blockade behind William Byron, effectively protecting Byron’s points position and advancing him to the Championship 4. On the other hand, Toyota’s Bubba Wallace slowed to help Christopher Bell.

The penalties were severe. Nine team members across three organizations were fined and suspended, and teams were docked 50 points each, setting a new standard for post-race discipline. Discussing the ongoing issue, Blaney explained, “It’s tough because it’s like you got the teams or manufacturers saying these things and as a driver you’re kind of handcuffed to an extent… and I kind of need to do what my team is asking me to do. It’s… a mucky situation.”

As mentioned earlier, at the 2025 Charlotte Roval, similar tactics appeared as drivers like Bowman were told to save tires or maintain positions for the benefit of teammates. Though NASCAR issued only formal warnings at Charlotte, the lack of penalties further fueled debate about the integrity of recent playoff races.

Ryan Blaney’s outlook remains clear: “I’d like to see just nothing, just everyone racing and stuff like that and worry about yourself, and you’re not responsible for this guy.” He advocates for an environment where drivers can compete free from manipulation and calls for conversations (and possibly more penalties) to restore the purity of NASCAR competition moving forward. Exactly how it should be!

Why Ryan Blaney wants limited info

Ryan Blaney’s playoff success in recent years stems not only from his driving talent but also from his approach to how he handles information about the points standings during races. Blaney has consistently performed at a high level in the playoff Round of 8, with multiple wins, top-five finishes, and a reputation for clutch performances under pressure.

Yet, despite the critical importance of points in NASCAR’s elimination-style playoffs, Ryan Blaney prefers to limit how much he focuses on the exact points standings while racing. “It’s like, okay, this guy’s here or there. So, I usually don’t want to know a ton of information about it. Maybe updates like, started the third stage, kind of here’s what the points order is, and then I don’t really hear anything about it ever again. I’ve just got too much stuff going on in there. I got to worry about my own deals,” he said.

The reasoning is simple. Ryan Blaney believes that worrying too much about points or other drivers can distract a competitor from doing the one thing that matters most. Racing as hard and smart as possible on track. He has implied that knowing too many details about the points situation can lead to an over-managing strategy rather than focusing on clean, aggressive driving.

In the 2025 season, Blaney has found some success maintaining this balance, currently sitting near the top of the playoff leaderboard (2nd position) with 17 top-10 finishes and 3 victories. His style contrasts with drivers who constantly adjust their behavior based on points math, sometimes leading to conservative or overly cautious racing.

As the playoffs continue, Ryan Blaney’s approach may prove critical as he battles for the Cup Series championship. Limiting focus on numbers and maximizing focus on racing could be the edge that allows him to rise above the pressure, proving that mental strength is as important as raw speed in NASCAR’s high-stakes postseason.