NASCAR star Ryan Blaney taunted by Cup Series rival on social media

NASCAR star Ryan Blaney found himself being taunted by a rival Cup Series team following Sunday's race at Atlanta.

NASCAR's new In-Season Challenge kicked off in Saturday's Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway, with 32 drivers going head to head in a bracket-style tournament that will determine a winner over the next five races.

NASCAR HEADLINES: Denny Hamlin suffers Cup Series demotion as multiple stars penalized at Atlanta

Winners of the challenge will receive $1 million, and in the first round, Blaney was drawn against controversial Cup Series star Carson Hocevar. However, after being caught up in an early wreck through no fault of his own, Blaney did not finish the race.

With Hocevar finishing in 10th, he was the driver to advance from the matchup, with Blaney eliminated.

Post-race, Spire Motorsports, Hocevar's team, also poked fun at the Team Penske driver, photoshopping their driver's face onto a popular swap meme in which 'Hocevar' proposes exchanging 'a trip to round two' for an 'L'.

"Thanks for accepting our trade, Ryan Blaney," Spire Motorsports captioned the image.

READ MORE: Ross Chastain and Kyle Busch among NASCAR Cup Series stars hit with penalties at Atlanta

Thanks for accepting our trade, @Blaney. pic.twitter.com/0RnoXU8GQj

— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) June 29, 2025

Ryan Blaney responds to Spire Motorsports jibe

In fairness to Blaney, he could have just pretended he didn't see the tweet and move on, but instead, the Team Penske star responded.

It was a brilliant one, too, with Blaney reminding Spire Motorsports that he 'still owed them' after Hocevar wrecked him during the February race at Atlanta earlier this year.

"Still owe y’all for this one. Thanks for reminding me," the Team Penske star wrote, accompanied with a screenshot of his No. 12 being spun around by Hocevar's No. 77. After that wreck, Blaney branded Hocevar as a 'moron' and a 'weapon'.

As mentioned, Blaney's race at Atlanta this time around was cut short by another wreck, and post-race, he offered his thoughts on the matter, revealing he's tired of getting caught up in other people's mess.

"I couldn't see much. They kind of started spinning and coming down," Blaney explained. "I tried to get to the apron, and by the time I got there, kind of got blocked."

"The story of our year," he continued. "Just getting caught up in other people's garbage.

"Just when we get it going pretty good and find some momentum, we don't seem to have things go our way."

READ MORE: Chase Elliott issues clear message to Rick Hendrick following Atlanta victory

Related

NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR star Bubba Wallace slams Cup Series rival after Atlanta incident

• Today 15:15

NASCAR Today

NASCAR Today: Denny Hamlin suffers Cup Series demotion as multiple stars penalized at Atlanta

• Today 13:05