Ryan Blaney had already thrown his support behind NASCAR’s in-season tournament, calling it a refreshing change that can keep the competitive fire burning through the summer grind. While he admitted the format hadn’t consumed his thoughts week-to-week, he acknowledged it quietly lingers in the minds of every driver on the grid.
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With five races forming the backbone of the challenge, Blaney expected that sooner or later, drivers would start keeping a closer eye on their head-to-head matchups, especially with a seven-figure payday dangling at the finish line. And now, with all three seeding races in the books, the 2023 Cup champion appears to be shifting gears.
Speaking ahead of the Pocono weekend, Blaney said he sees no downside to the format. Still, he confessed he wasn’t hyper-focused on the points tally at Michigan or Mexico City, nor was he chasing the top of the seeding board with any urgency. That changed after he took a look at the chart following Mexico. “Oh man, I need to get my seeding up,” he admitted.
While he downplayed the immediate impact of the Atlanta opener, Blaney acknowledged the stakes will rise quickly once the tournament starts. He said, “But Atlanta being the first race, it doesn’t really make a huge difference, I don’t think. I think you’re going to see a lot of upsets at Atlanta just because the way the track is.
“But I think when you get in the tournament starting next week, you’re definitely going to be aware of who you’re racing and who you’re matched up against. You’re not going to completely like jumble your race up just for that.”
Blaney praised the novelty of the format, noting that NASCAR doesn’t often offer head-to-head moments like other sports. He said, “I think it’s unique because our sport, it’s not one v one like football, basketball, baseball… This is a cool opportunity to have those matchups. It’s kind of a little race within the race type situation. So I think it’ll be fun for people to track and watch.
“I heard that the broadcast is going to have like a dedicated team just for the in-season tournament to really keep track of it, which is good. You have to do a good job of keeping track of what is going on within the full race.”
Following the race in Mexico City, NASCAR updated its playoff standings and in-season tournament seeding. Denny Hamlin currently holds the top seed, while Blaney still finds himself buried deep in the order. As the tournament field begins to take shape, the urgency to climb the ranks is beginning to hit home.
Joey Logano’s take on the in-season tournament
Ahead of the Pocono weekend, Team Penske’s No. 22 driver, Joey Logano, shared his thoughts on the in-season tournament, praising both its timing and structure. Logano called the format a perfect fit for this point in the calendar, noting that the early-season buzz has faded and the field has settled into a weekly rhythm.
As the regular season edges closer to crunch time with playoff positions up for grabs, Logano believes the tournament injects just the right amount of intrigue into the heart of the schedule. With the spotlight not fully fixed on championship implications yet, the competition helps hit the right spot midseason.
He pointed out that with a season as long and grueling as NASCAR’s, shaking things up with an additional storyline adds real value. The in-season tournament, he said, offers exactly that. While NASCAR hasn’t charted this territory before, Logano emphasized that with a million-dollar prize waiting at the end, it’s no sideshow. It’s a sky-stakes contest worth chasing.
