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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

Ryan Blaney earned a hard-fought win in the Championship 4 race at Phoenix. The power struggle to fend off a resurgent Kyle Larson and rock-solid Ross Chastain in the lead was daunting. However, all he needed to do was hold on to his position and stay ahead of Larson to seal the championship. Happiness and champagne of victory surrounded him as he approached the victory lane to be crowned the new Cup Series champion.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

Following his maiden championship win, the Blaney family joined him as the entourage was headed to the media center. That is when Ryan Blaney remembered one small problem to address before meeting the media personnel. Recollecting the memories from a glorious evening, Blaney revealed an embarrassing incident on his podcast, ‘Glass Case of Emotion.’

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Ryan Blaney reveals the happenings after his championship win

Unlike Ben Rhodes or Cole Custer, who had flamboyant celebrations in the victory lane and an inebriated build-up to the media center, Ryan Blaney had a relatively quiet evening. Talking about what followed the No.12 team’s victory lane celebration, he revealed that some pizza with his family was also a part of the process.

They let me eat some pizza before the media center, which was nice. Yeah, it was actually pretty bada**. It was me, my mom and dad, and Emma just eating pizza in this little room in the media center. It was pretty awesome.”

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When asked about sister Erin Blaney, who was stuck in a dilemma to celebrate with her brother or to console her boyfriend and Ryan’s title rival, William Byron, the 29-year-old said, “They had to leave. They went to the airport. She flew with William.”

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Well, Erin missed the family pizza session there!

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The No.12 pit crew understood that the celebrations would make Blaney uncomfortable in the fire suit. Disclosing his team’s kind and witty gesture to bring a backup fire suit to make him more comfortable in the post-race proceedings, Ryan Blaney claimed, “They let me change firesuits before the media center because mine was drenched.”

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“Drew just did a full solid, just in case. I was freezing from all the champagne and all the stuff, and it smelled like sh*t. Before the media center, they’re like, ‘Hey, we have an extra fire suit for you if you want’. Obviously, my Long Johns are soaked as well, so I take them off. I’m just free-b*lling under my firesuit. It was actually kind of nice. It was very freeing because I’m never in my fire suit just hanging out. I was very cautious about the zipper.”

Well, now that Ryan is a NASCAR Cup champion, he can be excused for his preferred type of celebration. Eau Claire hosted a NASCAR championship celebration event last week to celebrate his first title at the Pablo Center.

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Blaney is a man of the people

The Pablo Center witnessed the ascension of a champion as Ryan Blaney brought his Bill France trophy to the Eau Claire. A sea of fans was present to celebrate the title with him. Blaney’s fellow Menards-sponsored drivers, Austin Cindric, Brandon Jones, and Matt Crafton, were also at the event. Apart from the celebrities, the trophy and the winning No.12 car were also present.

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Speaking about his connection with the region’s people, Blaney praised the fans’ continuous support throughout the season. Having brushed aside his Round of 8 blues, he quickly thanked the people by bringing the trophy to town. “It seems really relaxed; good people up here, too, so I just enjoy the area,” Blaney said. “They do so much for us, so it’s nice to give back.”

“When you bring them a Cup championship, it takes everybody. It takes every single person that works here at Menards and across the country. They all have a part of it. So you try to show that back and pay respects back. You want to thank people for getting you where you are.

A champion of the people, Ryan Blaney‘s glory has brought a fresh breath into the sport. A championship race with only one previous winner could hint toward the shift of power in NASCAR. Are these the signs of a turn of the page in the sport? It could be, but it is too soon to speak.

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Ansuman Abhisek

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Ansuman Abhisek is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. Even before he made his way into the world of motorsports, he had already made a name for himself in the sports journalism field by working as a writer for a few media houses. Now, having covered multiple Cup races live, he has often been the first to report on-track incidents and also provide his readers with an in-depth analysis of the same. His well-researched stories have been received well by both fans and NASCAR drivers, like Natalie Decker. After covering numerous top trending stories on Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart, and Denny Hamlin, Ansuman has found his specialization. If you ask him, his favorite stories are the ones where he gets to talk about Dale Earnhardt Sr and his legendary tales.

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Ariva Debnath

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