While the racing community looked out for Gibbs-Hendrick marvels, Ryan Blaney swayed his racing feathers in relative obscurity. But as soon as the 2023 playoffs started, Team Penske’s #12 driver emerged to command a glorious presence. 

Blaney bested veteran aces in Martinsville last weekend. In the process, he sent a clear message to anyone who did not consider him a serious championship contender. Vice-chairman of the team, Walt Czarnecki, voiced it aloud for the entire racing grid ahead of Phoenix.

Ryan Blaney combined eight years of racing prowess to emerge as a Championship 4 contender

Since his first Cup race win in 2017 at the Pocono Raceway, Ryan Blaney never failed to qualify for the playoffs. Unfortunately, the #12 driver could not advance past the Round of 8 until this year. This might be the reason he was not feared as a legitimate championship threat. However, the conversation surrounding Blaney transformed overnight after his sensational win at the Martinsville Speedway last weekend. But the Vice-chairman of Team Penske earmarked a specific moment that became the #12 driver’s turning point this season.

In an interview shared by Auto Racing Daily, Walt Czarnecki said, “Hard for me to believe, but this is Ryan’s eighth full season at the Cup Series level and Ryan has really gone through a maturation process this year. He’s had seasons, I think he had one season before [2021], we won three races, but it seemed to all come together this year. He’s been able to meld that seven or eight years of experience with a good team.” Ultimately, though, it all came down to the confidence he built after he won the Coca-Cola 600 race in Charlotte this year.

Czarnecki confirmed, “I saw a real change in Ryan, particularly this year after he won the 600, Memorial Day Weekend. I saw a different approach. I won’t say more serious but a more thoughtful approach to the sport and to racing than perhaps he had before.” Team Penske’s VC knew then the true potential of the 29-year-old racer was finally ready to be unveiled for the world to see. He declared, “I spoke to one of your media colleagues here several weeks ago and he asked what I thought Blaney’s chances would be and I said don’t count him out.” 

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Today, Team Penske’s VC was ready to reiterate that with authoritative evidence, “Well, we’re here at Phoenix – don’t count him out.” Now that Ryan Blaney would race for the championship at the Phoenix Raceway this Sunday, Czarnecki revealed how the team viewed his breakthrough season.

Team Penske praises Ryan Blaney’s ‘solid foundation’ before the final Phoenix race

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The Coca-Cola 600 triumph was followed by three races when Ryan Blaney finished outside the Top 30. Toward the end of the regular season, the conversation shifted to RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher when the #17 driver won back-to-back in Richmond and Michigan and capped the season with another win at the Daytona International Speedway. When the playoffs began, Buescher became the Ford driver to watch out even as Blaney made progress with each playoff round. 

The #12 driver truly turned heads when he inched past Kevin Harvick in a photo-finish victory at the Talladega Superspeedway. Blaney then dominated the Round of 8 with an average finish of 3 in the three races. His team lauded his growth and effort, terming this season as his “maturation” year.

Looking forward to another Cup trophy, the Vice Chairman of defending champion Team Penske observed, “It’s been a growing up year, in terms of his race management and understanding the patience that sometimes it takes to be successful in this sport. He clearly understands the cars mechanically, and he listens to what the crew chief advises him to do. They have a great working relationship, so I think when we meld again all those things together, he’s had this growing up or maturation year and I see that really as a solid foundation for the rest of his career.”

Ryan Blaney has waited eight years for the opportunity he has now. Even the collective might of Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing will not deter the #12 driver from racing after his championship dreams. 

Despite Their Cold Start, Ryan Blaney and Ford Rose From Their Ashes Heading to Phoenix