NASCAR CUP SERIES: CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

November 8, 2026

Ryan Blaney

Frontstretch Quotes

An Interview with:

Q. Two years ago, Tyler Reddick late in the race passes you on the outside. The roles reversed here. Does this feel like redemption? How satisfying is it?

RYAN BLANEY: It does. I'm going to be honest with you. Every time I come here, that race haunts me. I kind of gave that one away. I didn't do a very good job at the end of that race. Learned from it. Was able to apply some stuff we learned a couple years ago in that situation to tonight.

Pretty cool night battling back from coming down pit road. Car was really, really fast. I appreciate everybody for sticking with it. Even though we weren't part of the championship fight, our goal was to try to win the race, end on a high note, get the most points we can.

Appreciate Menards, Dutch Boy, Ford Racing. The Ford Mustang, appreciate all the work they do and continue to do. Advance Auto Parts, DEX Imaging, Wabash, the Wurth group, Discount Tire, BODYARMOR, everybody that puts into our program, I can't thank them enough for a really fun year.

We'll rerack and hopefully be better next year. Congratulations to Kyle Larson, Mr. Hendrick, Cliff Daniels, championship number three, two in a row. Those guys are awesome. Hopefully we can race with them next year.

Q. Jonathan Hassler said the goal, albeit big, was to end fourth in points. You knew that the 19 had to have problems for that to happen. It ended up in your favor. You fought back, won this race. You finish fourth in points. How did you not let that pit road issue fracture your focus?

RYAN BLANEY: It's early enough. It was end of the first stage. Knew we had time. Knew it was going to be difficult, but our car was really fast. Just hoped we could make our way through there. Then we got to really see a big strength in our car, was able to be versatile.

Honestly, I think that helped me coming through the field like that, is I knew what my car needed all around the racetrack. I had to run around these lanes I wasn't running before that. I think that helped us prepare for the last run of the race.

Sometimes things might hurt initially, they might help you down the road.

I appreciate all the fans watching. We did this interview last year at Phoenix. Appreciate all the support. Have a good winter.