Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson, both past NASCAR Cup Series champions, were at the center of a heated moment at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway last weekend, drawing attention from fans as emotions flared during the race. The Ryan Blaney NASCAR Gateway incident occurred when Larson, piloting the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports car, spun Blaney in Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 135, leading to immediate outrage over the radio from Blaney, but a subsequent calm conversation between the two drivers after the race.
Aftermath on Pit Road and Reactions From the Drivers
Although Blaney expressed intense anger in the immediate aftermath, the Team Penske Ford driver managed to recover on track, ultimately securing a top-five finish. Meanwhile, Larson settled for twelfth place. After the checkered flag, the pair met on pit road, where the mood appeared far friendlier than it had been moments earlier, as both took time for a composed exchange about what happened on track.
After a week of reflection, as competitors shift their focus to the upcoming elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway, it appears that neither driver is harboring resentment about the Gateway incident. Blaney, speaking Friday at Bristol, addressed his approach to such conflicts openly, stating,
“I’ve always been someone who doesn’t hold a ton of grudge,”
—Blaney, Driver. He continued,
“I’ve found it more healthy for me to get it out of my system right away, and then I can move on. If I hold it in, then I think about it for a long time and then that’s how things can kind of build and all that stuff. That’s just kind of how I’ve approached it. Just to have a conversation like we had last week is really all I was searching for. I think you get a lot more done having an adult conversation with somebody. Granted, if I felt like it was malicious, then maybe it’s a different conversation. But I don’t think it was. It was just a mistake of two guys running hard and I got the bad end of it.”
—Blaney, Driver
Larson Describes the Moment From His Perspective
Kyle Larson also weighed in earlier in the week, reflecting on the incident in a Zoom teleconference. Highlighting the competitive nature and intensity of Cup Series racing, Larson explained that every move on the track is calculated, especially toward the end of a stage.
“Every move we make throughout every corner of the race is strategical. I wouldn’t necessarily say that anybody races much different than anybody these days. We’re pushing hard. It’s coming to the end of the stage. I had made a move the lap before, which is exactly what I was trying to do that lap and it was just further back than I was lap before. I entered faster to get there, and then I wasn’t going to get there. I was just trying to get back in line and just misjudged where his left-rear corner of the car was by a foot or so.”
—Larson, Driver
Moving Forward: Letting Go and Finding Redemption on the Track
Although Blaney could choose retaliation, he shared that holding on to grudges or resorting to on-track payback is not true to his character or his upbringing. He credits his temperament to his father, Dave, noting both are reserved and calm off the track, but fiercely competitive once the race begins.
Blaney reinforced his philosophy on handling incidents, expressing a preference for redemption through performance rather than aggression.
“I would rather go out and if I feel like someone did me wrong or someone made a mistake around me, I think the biggest statement you can do is just go kick their ass the next week and like the rest of the year and do it in the right way,”
—Blaney, Driver. He added,
“I don’t need to rough you up to beat you. I’m gonna beat you straight up and I think that’s the biggest statement that you can make and that’s just kind of how I always think.”
—Blaney, Driver
Significance and Outlook Ahead of Bristol Showdown
As NASCAR’s top competitors prepare for this weekend’s pivotal elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the resolution between Blaney and Larson signals a mutual respect, even after such a volatile clash on track. The Ryan Blaney NASCAR Gateway incident stands as a reminder of the emotional stakes involved at this level of the sport, with tempers flaring but cooler heads ultimately prevailing. As both drivers set their sights forward, fans can expect intense battles on the track, but with the understanding that professionalism and resilience still play a defining role in shaping their championship pursuits.
