An intense Ryan Blaney put it bluntly over his team radio: “What the &*#^, man? &*#^ these @$$holes.”
The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion barked at Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron, battling with Blaney for position late in last Sunday’s Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway.
Blaney needed to pass the duo to challenge eventual title winner Joey Logano. Neither surrendered for nearly 20 laps at the 0.75-mile, D-shaped desert track.
Blaney passed Larson for P3 on Lap 278, but was over 3.3 seconds behind the leaders. Twelve rotations later, Blaney overcame Byron for P2 and came within 0.0190 seconds of Logano with six laps to go.
After tangling with Larson and Byron, Blaney said he ran out of time.
“I had to work really hard to get by the 5 (Larson) and the 24 (Byron),” Blaney told NBC Sports. I felt like if I came out behind Joey and didn’t have two cars in between us that I had to pass I would’ve had a better shot.”
Larson, who placed P4, defended his actions.
“Yeah, I don’t see anything that I did wrong,” the 2021 Cup champion told Frontstretch.com.
Along with Christopher Bell, Larson (+550) enters the offseason with the top odds to capture the 2025 circuit championship, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
.@Blaney knows he has to go if he's going to catch @joeylogano! pic.twitter.com/5llFVFQGAK
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 10, 2024
Driver/Co-Owner Denny Hamlin Promotes Playoff, Track Changes
Denny Hamlin is calling for changes.
The first alteration the driver of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 11 Toyota and 23XI Racing co-owner wants to see is a revamping of the current playoff system. He also would like to promote a revolving site for the final race.
During Hamlin’s podcast, “Actions Detrimental,” ex-crew chief-turned-broadcaster Steve Letarte said the industry needs to break the monotony of recent racing.
“I would take the three-race championship,” Letarte said.
Hamlin and Letarte promoted a track rotation of Martinsville Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Hamlin added another destination.
“You’ve got Vegas in there, too,” he said. “It’s a good time of the year for Vegas.”
Mark your calendars now! 📆
Our start times and networks for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season are set! @NASCARONFOX @SportsonPrime @br_racing @NASCARonNBC pic.twitter.com/GOZTVYNfGa
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 13, 2024
NASCAR Cup Series 2025 Championship Driver Odds
Here is an early look at the drivers’ odds for the NASCAR Cup Series’ 2025 championship, according to DraftKings Sportsbook:
| Driver |
NASCAR Cup Series 2025 Championship Race Odds |
|---|---|
| Christopher Bell | +550 |
| Kyle Larson | +550 |
| William Byron | +600 |
| Ryan Blaney | +650 |
| Denny Hamlin | +750 |
| Joey Logano | +850 |
| Tyler Reddick | +850 |
| Chase Elliott | +1100 |
| Chase Briscoe | +1800 |
| Kyle Busch | +2200 |
| Ty Gibbs | +2200 |
| Brad Keselowski | +2800 |
| Ross Chastain | +3000 |
| Alex Bowman | +3500 |
| Chris Buescher | +4000 |
| Bubba Wallace | +6500 |
| Shane van Gisbergen | +6500 |
| Austin Cindric | +10000 |
| Daniel Suarez | +12000 |
| Carson Hocevar | +13000 |
| Noah Gragson | +15000 |
| Austin Dillon | +15000 |
| Josh Berry | +17000 |
| Michael McDowell | +17000 |
| Zane Smith | +17000 |
| AJ Allmendinger | +20000 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | +20000 |
| Erik Jones | +20000 |
| Ryan Preece | +25000 |
| Cole Custer | +25000 |
| Todd Gilliland | +25000 |
| Justin Haley | +25000 |
| John Hunter Nemechek | +40000 |
| Ty Dillon | +50000 |
*Odds current at time of publication
