NASCAR has trimmed down its practice sessions significantly compared to pre-2020, when teams could spend two to three hours on track before the real show began. But this shift has taken some of the charm away from race weekends, and many, including Ryan Blaney recently, have advocated for practice time to be increased again.<\/p>\n
The practice cuts were designed to prevent powerhouse teams from widening the gap at the top. Still, fans, drivers, and team owners have called for change<\/a><\/strong>, prompting NASCAR to make small concessions, such as expanding practice for the 2025 Daytona 500. Blaney, however, has drawn a firm line in the sand, echoing the sentiments of veterans like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and\u00a0Brad Keselowski<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ahead of the Round of 12 opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Blaney declared that he\u2019s a fan of the extended practice sessions, as they help him prepare better for the races.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I\u2019m gonna pick, I like the extended practice, the 50 minutes. You get a couple of sets of tires. You\u2019re able to go to the garage and try a few different things. They do that Champ Weekend, and then if they have a new track, that\u2019s what they have,\u201d\u00a0said Blaney.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I like, personally. I think it just gives people a better chance to understand where their cars are and play with some more stuff than they normally could with a 20-minute practice. That would be my vote. I don\u2019t know where it\u2019s gonna go, but that is my favorite form of practice.\u201d<\/p>\n