Ryan Blaney comes close to another Championship 4 berth

NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney. Greg Atkins-Imagn Images

Ryan Blaney comes close to third consecutive Championship 4 berth

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 6:23 PM ET

History appeared to be repeating itself in the closing laps of Sunday's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Ryan Blaney, needing a win to advance to the Championship 4 for the third consecutive year, had won the previous two Martinsville fall races and appeared to be on his way to doing so again.

But William Byron, who dominated Sunday's race, would have none of it.

In a classic NASCAR moment, Byron bumped Blaney out of the lead with 44 laps to go and didn't relinquish the lead for the rest of the race, even after a late caution forced a restart. Blaney was forced to settle for a runner-up finish and will not have the opportunity to win a second championship next week.

THERE'S CONTACT!!@WilliamByron takes the lead! pic.twitter.com/OddwgtXYEk
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 26, 2025

Ryan Blaney not upset with William Byron's late move

"That long run before the yellow when William got by me, I just got loose," Blaney told NBC Sports. "Trying to work through lapped cars, just was starting to fade. That's just two guys going for it. I would've done the same thing, to be honest with you."

Blaney can still race for the win at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2, but the conclusion of Sunday's race kept him out of the Championship 4 in heartbreaking fashion.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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