NASCAR star Ryan Blaney slams 'dumb decisions' after losing out at Texas

Ryan Blaney has blamed 'dumb decisions' for his winless start to 2025 continuing this weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway.

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion has recorded four top-five finishes this year, including three in his last four races, but hasn't yet headed to victory road to secure his playoff spot.

Blaney had a great chance to go into the lead of the race on one of the late caution restarts, running second when the yellow came out but choosing to take the inside lane behind Kyle Larson, allowing Michael McDowell to take the first spot in the outside lane.

McDowell got a great restart and was leading yet another caution came out. All of that said, Blaney was able to restart from that caution on the front row in the same spot he was bemoaning giving up just laps before.

Blaney: I wasn't doing my job

Eventually though, it was McDowell himself who wrecked to bring out the caution and send the race into overtime with Blaney and Joey Logano on the front for the restart – the former sluggish at the restart and getting not only beaten by his team-mate but also Ross Chastain.

“The one time I didn’t pick the outside (lane), the 71 [McDowell] got the lead and then I couldn’t get it back.

"Just (the) driver making dumb decisions and not doing his job...The 12 car was a fast car today. I just can’t do anything right currently. Hopefully it will work itself out.”

While Blaney still hasn't got the win he needs to seal an automatic playoff place, his run of top-five finishes has him comfortably above the playoff cut line in terms of points alone.

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