Ryan Blaney’s NASCAR Cup Series journey is unusual for an accomplished driver.
Most Cup Series champions have elite, sub-cup seasons that lead to championship wins and subsequent success.
Blaney won seven races and finished 10th or better in points from 2017 to 2021. The Hartford Township, Ohio native had a solid streak but never showed true championship potential.
So it was surprising to see Blaney make the playoffs in 2023, winning two of the last six races and finishing second in the season finale to win the championship. Blaney’s stats weren’t encouraging, but he was hot enough to take the crown at the right time.
Despite his postseason appearance, Blaney was still questionable. It was clear he would need to back up his 2023 run with an equally impressive 2024 campaign if he was to be considered one of the sport’s best drivers.
Faced with the pressure to defend his championship, he did just that.
Blaney may be 0.33 seconds away from another Cup Series title, but with back-to-back three-win seasons and four championship appearances, it’s clear that Blaney and the No. 12 will be at the top of the rankings for a long time.
Blaney’s 2024 season is just getting started as temperatures rise. After a narrow victory in Atlanta in February, his first victory came on June 2 in St. Louis. He handed the win to Penske teammate Austin Cindric and ran out of energy at the white flag.
But Blaney’s solid performance at St. Louis proved the No. 12 was capable of winning, and it was Blaney who led 201 of 350 laps in the first Cup race at Iowa Speedway two weeks after the heartbreaking St.Louis. leader.
Less than a month later, Blaney earned his second win of the season at Pocono—the track that gave him his first career win in 2017 with the Wood Brothers team—boosting the No. 12 in the playoffs.
Inconsistency will bite Blaney in the 2024 playoffs, and while he advanced to the round of 16, the Las Vegas fiasco seemed to make it clear that a repeat was impossible.
At Homestead-Miami, Blaney came within two corners of victory. Until Tyler Reddick made a legendary move to beat Blaney and take fourth in the championship.
But a week later, Blaney had the best race of his life, overcoming a deficit of nearly three seconds in the final 50 laps of the race to take the championship.
At Phoenix, Blaney’s Hercules almost came back when he passed teammate and eventual champion Joey Logano on the final lap, but he couldn’t make the winning move.
But despite not adding the Bill France Cup to his trophy cabinet, Blaney’s value as a top driver has increased in 2024. He has established himself as one of the sport’s elite and, barring a catastrophic event, is likely to compete for championships in future years.
