NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney. Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

Ryan Blaney blames himself after coming up short at Texas

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated May 4, 2025 7:57 PM ET

After coming up just shy of the win in Sunday's Wurth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney made it very clear that the loss could be attributed to himself.

Blaney chose the outside lane for the race's final restart, which saw Joey Logano drive away to the win and Ross Chastain pass Blaney for the runner-up position.

In hindsight, Blaney was frustrated by his lane choice.

"Driver making dumb decisions and not doing his job," Blaney told Fox Sports. "The No. 12 car was a fast car. Can't do nothing right currently, it'll work itself out."

"Driver making dumb decisions and not doing his job."- Ryan Blaney isn't happy with his performance in Texas. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/JCVsopnYR0
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 4, 2025

Blaney's season has been a roller coaster ride so far, as the 2023 champion has four DNF's in 11 races. His third-place effort at Texas was his fourth top-five finish of the season, and Blaney and the No. 12 team sit seventh in points after 11 races.

Blaney is currently 108 points behind leader William Byron and 94 points above the playoff cut line after Texas, pending post-race inspection.

While it's clear his loss on Sunday stings, there's plenty of reasons for optimism for Blaney, as the No. 12 car has been one of the fastest on the track on a weekly basis. When that speed finally does translate into a win, Blaney is bound to be one happy driver.

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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