Ryan Blaney had to contend with brawl expert Ross Chastain at Phoenix Raceway last year. But when his team owner, Roger Penske, confirmed that he would not need to land first place for the championship title, Blaney calmed down and followed Chastain to the finish line. Then the Penske driver emerged victorious as the champ, drowning in applause and confetti.

Along with the Bill France Cup, Blaney hauled home an added sense of confidence that day. Winning a Cup championship title involves donning a bright red cape of authority and prestige. After Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano brought this honor to Penske, it was Blaney’s turn. Yet with more power comes more responsibility.

Ryan Blaney felt more heard after championship glory

Blaney handed Roger Penske his fourth Cup title in November last year. The dividend for the Penske team was huge, but for Blaney, it was so much more than material benefits. People looked at him in a different light altogether, as he emphasized in a recent interview with Fox.

Bob Pockrass asked Ryan Blaney if he feels he has a louder voice now. Blaney agreed: “Yeah, maybe a little bit. I’ve never been one to fully always speak out. If I do, it’s something really important to me.”

Then he laid special stress on how to utilize this new-found vocal power. “But I feel like the bigger voice comes from maybe more people listening and maybe you have a little bit more weight behind what you say. So I think that’s even more important to have to choose your words carefully. You just can’t spout out about anything, You have to be kind of precise in how you speak because I feel like it’s a little bit more weight with your words.”

Ryan Blaney is currently in his 8th full-time Cup year.  After an impressive performance in the first three races of 2024, he ranks 2nd in the standings. He is also Racing Insights’ favorite to snag the Shriner’s Children 500 at Phoenix this weekend. Veteran racer Kevin Harvick commended Blaney on not losing his ground: “You’ve won that championship, you know you can go out there and make that happen. I think for Blaney having that confidence: they’re racing just like they did last year.”

Ryan Blaney is carving out a path toward becoming a NASCAR legend in a few years. But to reach where he is today, he crossed several stages and shook several people’s hands.

Blaney credited the profound support he got for his Cup title

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Ryan Blaney was born into a rich family legacy involved in dirt racing. But he paved his own path to success, albeit sprinkled with support along the way. He began his journey in quarter midgets, advancing through Bandoleros, Legend Cars, and other models. In 2012, his father, Dave Blaney, introduced him to Roger Penske. Then the rest was history.

Following his championship win, he recalled all the people who had helped him. “There are so many people that are involved, and I think that’s where my emotion came from immediately after the race was you think about all those people that gave you a shot as a kid – 20 years of meeting people, giving you chances, working with them.”

We are eager to see Ryan Blaney command the NASCAR community with his valuable words and daredevil driving skills in the upcoming races.

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