Kyle Petty claims Ryan Blaney’s Martinsville run was “one of his best ever” despite losing to William Byron

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Petty recently praised Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney for his Martinsville Speedway run. Petty was featured in a post-race interview with the stock car racing association and talked about the Championship Four mix without Blaney.

The #12 Ford Mustang Dark Horse driver had a disastrous qualifying session for the 500-lap race. He secured the 31st place on the grid with a best lap time of 19.61 seconds and a top speed of 96.58 mph. Despite starting from the back of the pack, Blaney didn't lose hope and paved his way to the top ten cars in stage one. He completed the first stage of the Martinsville Speedway race in seventh place.

Ryan Blaney struggled a bit in stage two of the race but still managed to land a P11 finish. He then moved to the front of the pack and gave a tough battle to Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron for the Championship Four spot. Blaney led 177 laps in the 500-lap race, making an astonishing recovery from the back of the pack.

Recalling the Team Penske driver's run, Kyle Petty called Blaney's 0.526-mile run "one of his best ever." He further explained:

"I'm gonna have to listen without Penske; he's been there every year. You know, I'm gonna tell you that it was I thought his drive today may have been one of his best ever. And I said the same thing after last year's race: come from where your weekend starts.

"And, you know, I looked at that, and I thought, Man, that was phenomenal. I would have never believed he could have driven through the pack the way he drove through the pack like that. But, you know, he was gracious," he added.

Despite a phenomenal display of his skills, Ryan Blaney crossed the finish line 0.717 seconds behind William Byron. This ended Team Penske's chances to advance to the Championship Four race at Phoenix this season.

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"I've gotten right hooked with that scheme": Ryan Blaney opened up about his Daytona victory, driving the "cursed" paint scheme

In August 2025, former NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney won his second victory of the season at Daytona International Speedway. He surprised everyone by performing donuts and burnouts after his maiden win in the 'cursed' paint scheme.

Blaney generally avoids performing burnouts or donuts while celebrating his triumphs. However, the Daytona victory was special for the Team Penske driver, as he won the race driving the black Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang. The #12 driver has a long history of getting right hooked or ending his run with a DNF.

Recalling the moment, Ryan Blaney told the press about his triumph:

"Also, I mainly did it for Advance Auto Parts because that paint scheme at speedways has been cursed. I've gotten right hooked with that scheme more times than I can count. The CEO, Shane (O'Kelly), told me, 'I think we've paid our dues with that paint scheme at speedways.'"

Ryan Blaney missed the Championship Four race this season and ended his two-year streak of winning at the fall Martinsville Speedway race. William Byron will compete against his teammate Kyle Larson and Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe for the title fight.