Ryan Blaney can finally call himself a NASCAR Cup Series champion. That's after he edged out the other three finalists in the playoffs with a second-place finish in Sunday's title race at Phoenix Raceway.
Blaney won the championship in the same playoffs he became eligible to win the title in the final race of the season for the first time in his career.
“It's nice to make our first final four goal and it was nice to achieve that last week,” Blaney said after the race, per Brett Winningham of Speedway Digest. “It's nice to come here and be one for one.”
Apart from Blaney, other drivers who made the final four were Christopher Bell, William Byron, and Kyle Larson. Bell was not able to finish the race due to an accident, while Larson and Byron placed third and fourth, respectively. Ross Chastain, meanwhile, got the checkered flag after leading for 312 laps.
Blaney did not have to win the event at Phoenix Raceway to win the championship; he just needed to finish ahead of Larson, Byron, and Bell, which he did despite a 15th starting position. Byron looked great for the most part of the race, as he had 95 laps led, while Blaney and Larson had combined for only two.
Blaney's success ensured that the NASCAR Cup Series championship will continue to reside in the corner of Team Penske, who had Joey Logano winning it all in 2022.
Ryan Blaney did not win a regular-season race until late May when he topped the field at the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Then he got hot in the playoffs, winning the 2023 YellaWood 500 and the Xfinity 500 before closing it out with a title victory.
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