Ryan Blaney is riding high and is ready to revel in the aftermath of his first-ever Cup Championship win. He’s buzzing with excitement about kicking back with his friends once the banquet wraps up. But according to the Team Penske ace, banquets can be a bit of a snooze-fest, even though he’s glad that he’ll be having his family there to share in the moment.

The banquet itself is a grand old tradition, marking the curtain call where NASCAR’s finest are honored with a slew of awards. This year, though, there was a bit of delay with the announcement details. Instead of the usual early bird reveal around September, the grapevine stayed quiet until late October, leaving everyone on tenterhooks about the details of this year’s shindig.

Ryan Blaney believes it’s only the champion who wants to be there at the banquet

Awards ceremonies can be a long and elaborate affair. While some love to be a part of the humdrum, others would love to rather spend their time elsewhere. Speaking on the same, Blaney recently fans a sneak-peek into his celebration plans.

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Delving into who he’ll be bringing along, Blaney, with a hint of humor, pointed out that typically, the banquet isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. “Whole family’s gonna come, so that’s fun. That’d be a fun time. Usually, the banquet s*cks, right? There’s only one person that wants to be there. Yeah, but, luckily, we get to be the one group that wants to be there, so it’s nice.”

The banquet hopped from the glitzy halls of the Waldorf Astoria in New York to the buzz of Las Vegas, finally landing back in Nashville’s Music City Center. Last year, the journey of Joey Logano came full circle in a poignant moment when racing legend Mario Andretti, his childhood idol, introduced him for his championship speech. This year, however, it would be interesting to see who introduces the 2023 Champion, Ryan Blaney.

But, the 2022 banquet evening wasn’t just about Logano. Ty Gibbs, the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, received a heartfelt standing ovation during his speech, a touching tribute less than a month following the sudden passing of his father, Coy Gibbs. Zane Smith, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, was also in the spotlight.

As for Ryan Blaney, after the formalities, he’s planning to let his hair down with friends, maybe even getting a band or a few of his favorite artists to join the party.

Ryan Blaney’s musical musings for his celebration

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Ryan Blaney, fresh off his championship high, has his own take on the annual NASCAR banquet. When quizzed about his music preferences for the event, he casually said, “I’m kinda open to anything. Honestly, I just figured we’d do the country thing because we’re at Nashville and you know, it’s the easiest thing to get, you know? So, I don’t know.” Last year, country music sensation Erin Kinsey provided the musical backdrop.

However, Blaney’s in a bit of a pickle over the musical lineup for his post-banquet bash. At first, he mulled over the idea of his buddy’s band taking the stage – they’re great at cover songs, by his own admission. But he also wants his friends to join in the fun, not be stuck on duty. So now, he’s on the hunt, rifling through his list for the ideal blend of hip-hop artists and crooners to add some sparkle to his soirée.

When nudged about his dream performers, Blaney let his imagination run wild: “If you had Snoop, like, open, oh my god, it would be amazing. […] If Shania Twain walked out like that’d be sick.”

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It looks like NASCAR fans will be glued to Blaney’s Instagram, eager to see which star ultimately steals the spotlight at his celebration. It’s anyone’s guess who will be the talk of the town this year.