Ryan Blaney Snubs Daytona 500’s Prestige Dishing Out Controversial Take on Crown Jewels

A lot of top motorsports have that one race, which has a special value compared to others. F1 has its Monaco Grand Prix, IndyCar has the Indy 500, and the World Endurance Championship has the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Everyone knows NASCAR has Daytona, but slightly spoiled for choice, the sport recognizes several races that have earned the status of ‘Crown Jewel’ events. Typically, there are four NASCAR Crown Jewels, but opinions often differ, with fans and drivers adding their own tweaks to the list. And recently, Ryan Blaney offered his own take on them, and by his own admission, it is certainly controversial.

As per NASCAR’s perspective, the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500, and the Brickyard 400 are the crown jewels, in that order. Some factions and drivers consider Bristol to also be in it. However, for Blaney, while the tracks might be common, the order isn’t.

What are the crown jewels for Ryan Blaney?

Speaking to Mike Bagley on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Blaney said, “To me personally, there’s 4 Crown Jewels. I know a lot of people won’t probably agree with that, but that’s Daytona, Darlington, Coca-Cola 600 and Indy. I’d put Indy in there. This has always been on my mind, that’s what it is. I definitely think, to me it’s [Southern 500] second. To me, I feel like it’s Coke 600, Darlington, Daytona, then Indy. That’s kind of my list.”

This came out as a shock to Bagley, just like it is to many. And the obvious, shocking element is the ranking of Daytona in the third position. For Blaney, while the Daytona 500 is the most iconic event in NASCAR, it’s also heavily influenced by drafting, pack racing, and luck. These factors sometimes make it feel like it’s less in the hands of the driver. But why is Charlotte first for him?

About that, Blaney continued, “When we won the 600 a couple of years ago, that was really tough to go through 600 miles. It’s kind of the same thing, start in the day, ends at night. Can you keep up with the race track? You’re physically exhausted, your brain is worn out, that’s kind of how I rank those. From a driver’s seat and team perspective of how tough it is to navigate through those whole races.” 

Interestingly, Blaney’s results at these tracks also help to understand his unpopular opinion. Blaney won the race at Daytona before the playoffs, but his Charlotte finish was 38th, where he was caught up in a wreck, justifying the track’s difficulty for him. And though his 2024 result was also similar, his 2023 winning experience at Charlotte was also a tough victory indeed, in his words.

Blaney points out the long endurance that one has to go through at the longest race in the season at Charlotte. It is a pure test of skill, and adaptability, running 600 grueling miles from day to night. So for Blaney, the physical and mental toll of the Charlotte race outweighs Daytona’s prestige, which explains why he puts Charlotte first.

And why Darlington is next after Charlotte for him is also because of multiple reasons. He said, “Darlington is up there, really physical, really mentally asks a lot out of you to get through that night and can achieve it. How difficult is it to win.” So even if Daytona and Indianapolis are historically significant, Darlington comes up for him due to its punishing layout and the physical and mental resilience needed over there.

Ryan Blaney and Team Penske’s record at the upcoming Gateway race

With the 2025 Southern 500 concluding in Chase Briscoe’s favor, the playoffs are now in full swing, and Blaney is looking to join the Joe Gibbs Racing newcomer in advancing to the next round at the World Wide Raceway, simply known as Gateway.

Last year, Blaney had a midpack result there, finishing 24th, but his 2022 and 2023 results were promising as he finished 4th and 6th respectively. “Every race is a fresh start, and we’re ready to make the most of it,” Blaney remarked, emphasizing his commitment to advancing in the playoffs.

What also works in his favor for the Gateway race is Team Penske’s track record, too. In the three races that have been held there, a Team Penske driver has won two of them. Joey Logano had the honor of being the inaugural race winner, while Austin Cindric won last year’s race. The only other race, in 2023, witnessed Kyle Busch win for Richard Childress Racing.

Ryan Blaney now has a good chance to continue Team Penske’s strong legacy at World Wide Technology Raceway and turn Gateway into one of his own personal strongholds.