In a post-race interview, Ryan Blaney shared his thoughts on the tire situation during the Food City 500 in Bristol after tire wear became an issue after Saturday’s practice session. During the session, teams grew concerned about the condition of the tires during the race, with many expecting a similar experience to last year’s spring race.
However, the unexpectedly low tire wear surprised many people, Blaney included. With the weather on Sunday much warmer, the track began to take rubber better and thus avoided the marbling that often disrupts grip.
Ryan Blaney Surprised As Tires Exceed Expectations
In a conversation with Frontstretch after the race, Blaney admitted that the condition of the tires as compared to the practice session Saturday really surprised him.
He also shared that the beginning of the race was kind of funny since everyone was a bit on edge, trying to figure out what to expect with the tires. “It’s fun to get to the beginning of the race, everyone’s just puttin’ around because no one knew what to expect,” shared Blaney.
However, once they reached 80 laps or so he realized that the tires were holding up much better than the practice session.
"I thought the tire really surprised me, in a good way, compared to what it was yesterday" @Blaney finished 5th.
Blaney says it felt like no one knew what to expect with tires when the race started but 80 laps in he realized it wasn’t that bad.
📹 @calebbarnes_ pic.twitter.com/uNfh5ZJprn
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 14, 2025
Blaney continued, “So, then after that, I was like gauging, how do you want to go, at what point. So, that was, that was, pretty fun gauge, but yeah, I thought it was a good race from the driver’s seat.”
He added, “Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect before the day started. I don’t think anybody did really. But it actually laid more rubber down than I thought. I think the sun being out, it being a little bit warmer definitely helped. But yeah, I thought it was a good race. I thought the tire really surprised me, in a good way, compared to what it was yesterday.”
Defending Cup Series Champion Blaney came into the Bristol race on the back of three DNFs in eight races and no wins. Like most drivers, Blaney also had strong tire concerns coming into Bristol as the track’s concrete surface and high banking made it a difficult track for tire wear.
Most teams initially expected the tires to hold up for about 70 to 80 laps. But what caught everyone off guard was that the tires lasted a good 125 laps without any significant issues.
Blaney started and finished the race in fifth place.