Can Ryan Blaney Finally Dethrone Chase Elliott From NASCAR’s Pinnacle

Published 03/16/2024, 8:54 AM EDT

Ryan Blaney, who clinched the Cup Championship last year, wasn’t really in the spotlight until the playoffs kicked in. But despite that, he had his eyes on the Most Popular Driver award. However, deep down, he was aware of Chase Elliott’s massive fan base and his charm over the crowd. And just as expected, without winning a single race last year, Chase Elliott still stole the show, bagging his 6th Most Popular Driver of the Year award. This left the champ, Ryan Blaney, without that particular trophy. But who knows? Maybe this year, the story could take a new turn.

Chase Elliott’s deepening misery might take away his Most Popular Driver of the Year award away

Ahead of an award function last year, Blaney mused about the Most Popular Driver award during a chat with Kim Coon, “Yeah, there should be a bet for the most popular driver, but I don’t know if anyone’s gonna dethrone him [Chase Elliott] from that though; I really don’t. You know, his cheers run beyond the racetrack. All the way to the pool hall, man. Yeah, I don’t know. That’s going to be a tough one. I don’t know.”

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Unlike last year, when Chase Elliott had to sit out several races due to an injury, this year has brought a different kind of challenge, but with a similar vibe of struggle. Up to now, he hasn’t cracked the top 10 in any race, except for snagging a stage win at Daytona. Moreover, he’s hitting some unwanted milestones, like a winless streak stretching over 38 races.

On the other hand, Ryan Blaney kicked off this year on a high note, riding the wave from his strong finish last season. He’s off to a solid start defending his title, leading the 2024 NASCAR Cup standings after the Phoenix race. While he hasn’t clinched a victory yet, Blaney has nabbed three top-5 finishes in Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, showing his consistency. Remarkably, he’s landed in the top 5 in eight of his last 10 races.

Currently sitting pretty at the top of the standings with 151 points, a comfy 28 points ahead of Chase Elliott, who’s lagging at ninth place. It’s still early but Ryan Blaney is showing he might just have what it takes to dethrone Elliott for the Most Popular Driver award this year, considering his current form and fan following.

As for what’s coming next, Blaney’s got his eyes set on maintaining his lead in the upcoming races with Bristol being his next target.

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Can Ford’s driver Ryan Blaney finish a top-5 at Bristol?

Ryan Blaney’s been tearing it up lately, but Bristol’s been a mixed bag for him. Despite being a powerhouse in recent Cup Series races, Bristol hasn’t always been his best track. In his last five outings there, he’s only cracked the top-5 once. Now, when it comes to getting a good start at Bristol, Chase Elliott’s the man to beat. He’s got the best average start position among the current drivers, making it tough for the likes of Joey Logano, our man Blaney, and Brad Keselowski to catch up.

Speaking of Blaney’s teammate Joey Logano, he’s had a bit of a rough patch starting off this season, while Blaney’s been lighting up the track. The change this year is that Bristol’s back to its concrete self for both dates, ditching the dirt setup drivers have had a taste of with the Next Gen car.

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It’s all eyes on Bristol now to see if Blaney can up his game on the concrete and maybe even get that elusive top-5 finish, making this season’s battle one for the books.

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Written by:

Neha Dwivedi is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. As a journalist, she religiously believes in the power of research, which allows her readers to dive deep into her stories and experience the detailed nuances of the sport like never before. Being proficient with Core Sport and Live Event Coverage, she has written multiple copies on the top entities of Stock Car Racing, like Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Tony Stewart.

Edited by:

Shreya Singh

Can Ryan Blaney Finally Dethrone Chase Elliott From NASCAR’s Pinnacle

Chase Elliott’s deepening misery might take away his Most Popular Driver of the Year award away

Can Ford’s driver Ryan Blaney finish a top-5 at Bristol?

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