At Martinsville Speedway on October 25, 2025, renowned NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney opened up about a past adventure that tested his limits far beyond anything he had encountered on the racetrack. Revisiting the memory during a SiriusXM Radio interview, Blaney shared how his thrilling ride with the United States Air Force Thunderbirds a decade ago left him battling both gravity and nausea, offering a raw look at how even professional drivers can be pushed to their edge. The Ryan Blaney Thunderbirds experience stands out as a vivid reminder that even those skilled at high speeds are not immune to the intensity of fighter jets.
In the interview, Blaney explained that, confident from his years of racing, he felt fully prepared for the gravity-defying stunts. However, the experience delivered more than he anticipated when a sudden maneuver at 30,000 feet prompted an unplanned struggle to keep his composure. This wasn’t the controlled chaos of a NASCAR Cup Series event, but rather an airborne challenge where the pilot, not Blaney, was at the wheel.
How the Thunderbirds Experience Overwhelmed an Elite Racer
The Thunderbirds offer civilians and special guests a chance to feel the powerful forces at play in fighter jet flight. Blaney, a top Team Penske driver known for his fearlessness on the track, initially expected his high threshold for speed would translate smoothly to the skies. Yet, as his pilot guided the jet through a series of intense moves, the real test emerged not in his driving skills, but in his ability to withstand g-forces far stronger than anything in NASCAR.
When asked by the pilot about his comfort level before takeoff, Blaney gave his full consent for any move, trusting his own durability. As he recounted, the flight began smoothly until the last-minute maneuver left him overheated, dizzy, and suddenly queasy.
“The pilot asked me before, ‘Hey, what do you want to do? What is your comfort level?’ and I was like, ‘Hey, do whatever you want. I am in it with you. Whatever you do, I am cool with it.’ I was great the whole time, and then he did something unexpected that I wasn’t really ready for, and I got hot, I got queasy, and I threw up.”
Ryan Blaney described his “proud vomit” moment at high altitude, noting he managed to grab a bag just in time. Despite being among many who have lost their lunch during a Thunderbirds flight, Blaney emphasized that there was no embarrassment—only the reality of what such an experience demands.
“It was like a proud vomit. It was not like other moments where you are not proud, like you overindulge in something, and then you are sick. This one was like, I got to vomit at 30000 feet in a Thunderbird. That was like, I wish I had a better meal that morning. It was an unbelievable experience. I hope to get to do it again one day.”
Even as he candidly admitted to the unexpected physical impact, Blaney remained unashamed.
“I did get sick […] I’m not afraid to say it.”
— Ryan Blaney, NASCAR Cup Series driver
He went on to declare that the day was
“the coolest experience (he’s) ever been a part of,”
reinforcing just how unforgettable flying with the Thunderbirds can be.
“the coolest experience (he’s) ever been a part of”
The rapid ascent left a deep impression. Blaney marveled at how quickly the fighter jet seemed to disappear into the sky, the world shrinking away beneath him at a dizzying pace.
“So the coolest part of what they do is—it’s like they go straight to 10,000, so they pop off the runway, and they go straight 90-10000 feet. And you are at 10,000 feet before you know it. And you are seeing everything get very small in a very short amount of time; it’s just unbelievable.”
His reflections made it clear that, even for seasoned drivers, the stronger g-forces and intense acceleration of a fighter jet offer a level of challenge rarely experienced, and often underestimated. This point was echoed by rising NASCAR talent Connor Zilisch.
“I think I was nervous of the fact that whether or not I was going to get sick. Cause I listened to enough drivers tell me how they threw up. But even the ones who threw up still said it was one of the most coolest experiences of their life,”
said Zilisch.
Such candid admissions paint a picture of camaraderie among drivers who have braved similar flights. The Thunderbirds experience turns top athletes into awestruck passengers, putting their resilience—and their stomachs—to the ultimate test.
After the Skies: Ryan Blaney’s Frustrations at the Daytona 500
While Blaney’s ride with the Thunderbirds left him exhilarated—and slightly ill—his exploits on the NASCAR track have seen their own high-pressure moments. In the recent Daytona 500, Blaney brought home a seventh-place finish but was left frustrated by tactics used by rival teams, especially Toyota. The Toyotas’ fuel-saving strategies led them to intentionally slow the field, boxing him out of a top-five place and limiting the action on the track.
Blaney did not hold back in his criticism following the race, calling for changes within the sport to address racing strategies that diminish competition.
“[Toyota] gets three cars and just blocks the whole field. It’s unfortunate. We have to fix that. It’s pretty bad.”
He knows the frustration is not unique—when teams span the track three-wide to save fuel, it stalls the race, making it nearly impossible for competitors behind to advance.
“I know we’re working on that. We’re trying to figure out ways to fix it, and there’s been a lot of discussion with the teams and drivers and NASCAR about how do we go about this and how do we fix it?”
The result, he explained, is that racing loses its edge, devolving into a single line of cars waiting for a green-flag stop, rather than engaging in hard-fought action and overtaking.
“It takes away from the racing aspect of it. At that point, we’re not really racing. It feels like riding in a line and waiting for the green-flag stop…It sucks in my position because I was in the back, and when I got to the roadblock three-wide, you really can’t go anywhere,”
he recently added.
Why the Thunderbirds Flight Resonates with Drivers and Fans
For Blaney, the Thunderbirds adventure remains a formative moment—one that outpaces almost anything he’s done behind the wheel. The story underscores a key element of motorsport: the limits drivers are willing to push, not just for victory but for the raw thrill that comes with risk and speed.
Both his experience in the skies and his frank calls for NASCAR rule changes highlight his standing as a driver eager for real competition and honest about both triumphs and setbacks. As more NASCAR athletes recount similar dizzying rides with the Thunderbirds, a pattern emerges—these flights inspire awe and humility, even among the boldest on the track.
The broader impact resonates with fans and fellow competitors, serving as a reminder that the spirit of pushing boundaries is alive in motorsport. Whether it’s racing through turns at Martinsville or spiraling toward the clouds over Virginia, Ryan Blaney continues to captivate the racing community with his openness, resilience, and hunger for the next great challenge.
🤢 "I did get sick […] I'm not afraid to say it."
Ryan @Blaney relived his first ride with the @AFThunderbirds 10 years ago, calling it "the coolest experience (he's) ever been a part of" and said he wants to do it again.
📻 Full Hour: https://t.co/MKhd9eLpQA pic.twitter.com/hw0BECRE7l
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) February 19, 2026
