Ryan Blaney is now a NASCAR Cup Series champion and one of the sport’s most recognizable drivers.
But long before his championship run with Team Penske, Blaney was a young driver still trying to build experience in NASCAR’s national series. According to Brad Keselowski, one early opportunity for Blaney to gain track time ended up frustrating NASCAR officials.
Keselowski recently shared the story during an appearance on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, recalling a private test session at Phoenix Raceway that unexpectedly created tension with the sanctioning body.
Brad Keselowski invited Ryan Blaney to test at Phoenix
Keselowski explained that the situation happened shortly after he won the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series championship.
At the time, Blaney was driving for Keselowski’s Truck Series team and was still early in his NASCAR career. When Keselowski’s Cup team scheduled a test at Phoenix Raceway, he saw it as an opportunity to help the young driver learn one of the sport’s most technical tracks.
“Right after I won the championship, we had a test at Phoenix, and Blaney was driving my truck at the time,” Keselowski said.
Phoenix Raceway has long been considered one of the most difficult tracks on the NASCAR schedule to master, and Keselowski believed the experience could benefit Blaney’s development.
At one point during the test, Keselowski suggested letting Blaney take a few laps in the Cup car. Blaney was immediately interested.
Keselowski joked that the reaction reminded him of Ricky Bobby from the movie Talladega Nights. “He’s like, ‘I want to go fast,’” Keselowski said.
NASCAR was not thrilled with the idea
Before putting Blaney in the car, Keselowski said the team checked with NASCAR to make sure it would be allowed.
Blaney had not yet competed in the Cup Series, which meant the situation required approval.
According to Keselowski, NASCAR officials were not particularly enthusiastic about the request.
“Well, they thought it would be pretty easy, and they were so pissed at us,” Keselowski said while recounting the moment.
Although the test itself went forward, Keselowski said the reaction from NASCAR suggested the sanctioning body did not love the situation.
The issue resurfaced later in the season
Keselowski said the Phoenix test unexpectedly came back up months later.
During a separate penalty situation involving his team later that season, NASCAR officials referenced the earlier test session.
“They were so mad at us that four months later we got a penalty at Texas, and in the penalty process they brought it up,” Keselowski explained.
According to Keselowski, officials pointed to the Phoenix situation as an example of the team pushing the boundaries.
“You guys are always doing stuff you shouldn’t be doing,” he recalled them saying. Keselowski said he was surprised the moment had lingered with NASCAR for so long. “We were like, ‘What does that have to do with anything?’” he said.
Ryan Blaney went on to become a Cup champion
In the years since that test session, Blaney has become one of the sport’s top drivers.
After climbing through NASCAR’s Truck and Xfinity Series ranks, he joined Team Penske full time in the Cup Series and has since developed into a consistent contender.
Blaney captured the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2023 and continues to be one of the sport’s most competitive drivers.
Looking back now, the Phoenix test stands as a small but memorable moment from early in Blaney’s career. At the time, it may have frustrated NASCAR officials. But it also gave a young driver valuable experience that helped shape the path to a championship.
Brad Keselowski Reveals Ryan Blaney Test That Left NASCAR ‘So Mad’