Ryan Blaney comes from a racing dynasty, with his father, Dave Blaney, grandfather, Lou Blaney, and uncle, Dale Blaney, all with long and distinguished careers in motorsports.
Dave Blaney made 473 Cup starts over 17 seasons and was a World of Outlaws champion, his brother, Dale, was a sprint car champion, and their father, Lou, was credited with multiple Midwest titles.
But Ryan Blaney has now accomplished something is racing relatives never have: winning a NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Blaney may have finished runner-up to Ross Chastain in Sunday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway, but he captured the biggest prize, claiming his first Cup title at age 29 by beating the other three championship contenders in a 312-lap shootout at Phoenix.
Blaney outdueled a pair of Hendrick Motorsports drivers in Kyle Larson, who finished third, and William Byron, who finished fourth, to claim the crown and hand team owner Roger Penske his second consecutive Cup title, following Joey Logano’s win in 2022.
“Just so proud of this team. What an unbelievable year, what an ubelievable playoffs for us,” Blaney said. “To win back-to-back Cup titles for Mr. Penske, that’s so special.
“And to have my family here for my first Cup title, I got emotional in the car. I’m not a very emotional guy, but this was so cool. I can’t wait to celebrate with my guys.”
The final championship competitor was out of the race before the halfway mark. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell suffered brake issues during stage…
