NASCAR’s first race of the season churned controversy involving Toyota cars. The Daytona 500, which unfolded last Sunday, showed the typical elements of superspeedway racing. There were frequent caution flags caused by unforeseen wrecks. And more importantly, there was intensive fuel-saving, something that got on Ryan Blaney’s nerves. Even as emotions around the race have begun to settle down, Blaney reiterated his opinions.

Ryan Blaney slams cumbersome strategy

“I hate that that’s a thing and a topic that we talk about, ’cause it takes away from the racing aspect of it. At that point, we’re not really racing. It feels like riding in a line and waiting for the green-flag stop. And you hope you save more than the others and execute it more than the other guys,” Ryan Blaney said on Sirius XM NASCAR. “It sucks in my position because I was in the back, and when I got to the roadblock three-wide, you really can’t go anywhere.”

The driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford was looking forward to 2026. After encountering 6 DNFs in 2025, Ryan Blaney was hoping for a clean slate. But hardly anything was clean as Blaney ran up against a massive crash on lap 124. Even as he recovered from that debacle, the Toyota bandwagon’s wave of fuel-saving strategy hindered his path.

The 23XI Racing cars of Tyler Reddick, Riley Herbst, and Bubba Wallace were in this fray. They dominated all three lanes at one point. That three-wide posture while running an ultra-slow 52-second lap on the final stage was Ryan Blaney’s bone of contention. The Penske driver had vehemently called for action on that fuel-saving strategy after finishing 27th.

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However, Ryan Blaney acknowledged that in the absence of a better car and rules, the drivers have no choice. “Unfortunately, it’s just part of the game, like that’s what you have to do. If everyone else is doing it, you have to do it. It’s not like you just end up going because everyone picks the pace with you. They’re also saving more gas than you, so they can jump you if there’s a green-flag stop.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. proposed a solution to this hampering strategy. He urged NASCAR to reinstate the bonus points provided for drivers leading a lap or leading the most laps. Denny Hamlin also had an idea in terms of spreading out the field and reducing drag.

As Ryan Blaney seeks to move on from his Daytona troubles, his prospects look bright.

An upcoming victory for the champion?

The Daytona fever is settling down, and the Atlanta thrill is picking up. The following weekend, NASCAR heads to EchoPark Motor Speedway, and a few predictions are already on the table. Topping the list of prospective victors is Ryan Blaney, who scored +1000 odds on DraftKings.

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion finished 4th in Atlanta in February 2025. Ryan Blaney also won the pole in qualifying (30.91 seconds). However, during the June race at the same track, Blaney crashed out in stage 1, marking his 6th DNF of 2025.

So, Ryan Blaney may be looking for redemption on Sunday, both for his June 2025 debacle and the Daytona mishap. Atlanta also features big drafting packs, very close-quarters racing, and extremely high speeds. So witnessing Blaney’s drive will certainly be thrilling.

With the rest of the 2026 season left, Ryan Blaney can plan out good strategies ahead. Let’s wait and see what he does next.