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There are some sporting events in the world whose history, allure, and sheer pull can attract even the biggest stars from other sports. The same is also the case for two of the biggest names from NASCAR, Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski, who recently revealed their bucket list of sporting events.

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NASCAR Cup champions reveal their bucket list of sporting events

Ahead of the Cup race at Bristol, Ryan Blaney opened up on the sporting events he would like to attend. He recalled attending the Masters Tournament, calling it ‘a special one.’ Another event for Blaney would be Game 7 of the World Series, for which he said he doesn’t care who is playing, just as long as he gets to experience the atmosphere.

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Another prestigious sporting event the 2023 Cup champion spoke about was a motorsports event he has never been to for a very specific reason. “I’ve never been to the Indy 500. I’ve always been working that day. So I’d love to just experience that. I’ve always said, the first year I retire from racing, I’m going and camping at Indy for like the whole week just to experience that whole side of it. So this is probably my top two that I’ve never been to that I’d love to experience, the first,” he described.

It’s worth mentioning that Kyle Larson has taken part in the last two Indy 500s, attempting the Double.

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Although Blaney said he has never done the Double and doesn’t intend to, as far as watching it as a fan and experiencing it is concerned, he was open to doing that one day.

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Brad Keselowski, the former teammate of Ryan Blaney, was also asked at Bristol if he has a bucket list event he wants to attend. And just like Blaney, Keselowski also named a motorsports event.

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However, unlike the Penske driver, the RFK Racing driver picked an event outside of the US. “I was wanting to go to the F1 race in Monaco. That was my bucket list,” he said.

Keselowski added that before Monaco, he wanted to go to the Indy 500. But he checked that one off, so now it’s just the Monaco GP, which is one of the best races on the F1 calendar.

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Just like Blaney, Keselowski would also not be able to attend his bucket list event for the same reason. This year’s Monaco GP will be on 7 June. On the same date, NASCAR is racing at Michigan.

So just like Blaney, it seems Keselowski would also have to wait until his retirement to fulfill his bucket list.

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Blaney didn’t always rule out the prospect of the Double

While Ryan Blaney has now ruled out attempting a Double like Kyle Larson, it wasn’t always the case. In 2023, after he won his Cup championship and ahead of Larson’s first Double attempt, Roger Penske made a revelation about his driver.

Penske owns Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has a team in the series, and owns the series. Therefore, if Ryan Blaney wanted to attempt the Double, it wouldn’t have been very difficult for him. But when he raised that to his team owner, he had a simple response.

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“Ryan Blaney said to me at some point over the last several weeks that he would like to go to Indy. I was like, ‘Whoa, slow down a little bit,’” Penske said.

With that said, it’ll be interesting to see if Ryan Blaney changes his mind and attempts the Double one day, with Roger Penske also allowing him to do so. He recently admitted to helping his wife with chores during non racedays was a priority, which is why it seems unlikely, even though fans would love to see Blaney in action at the Indy 500.

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Shaharyar

1,997 Articles

Shaharyar is an experienced Senior NASCAR writer at EssentiallySports. A journalist by heart and profession, he has been at the ‘wheel’ for nearly a decade after starting with Formula 1. He has penned over 1,700 articles on the sport.

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Godwin Issac Mathew

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