MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Ryan Blaney’s journey to the Championship 4 at Phoenix was filled with obstacles that made his path unique and challenging.
As the son and grandson of racers, Blaney had reached the Round of 8 four times before but never advanced to the championship race. Only Kurt Busch had matched this feat without a title to his name. However, Busch had already won the 2004 crown.
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Blaney had watched others celebrate championships, wondering when his chance would come. He had made it to the Round of 8 in 2017, ’19, ’21, and ’22, but failed to move forward.
In 2017, Blaney was 22 points behind the cutline entering the Round of 8 elimination race. In 2019, he trailed by 23 points heading into the cutoff race. In 2021, Blaney was just one point away from the transfer spot, but contact damage prevented him from advancing. Last year, he entered the Martinsville race 18 points behind and fell short once again.
However, his recent victory at Martinsville finally secured Blaney’s spot in the Championship 4. He joins Kyle Larson, the 2021 champion, Christopher Bell, and William Byron in Sunday’s title race at Phoenix Raceway (coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET on NBC).
Reflecting on his journey, Blaney shared, “There’s definitely been some bumps in the road. We haven’t been as dominant as some of the other guys in our age group, like Larson and Chase. But I try not to let that get to me. It actually motivates me. I want to be that guy winning championships and races.”
This season has presented its own challenges for Blaney. Ford teams struggled with speed earlier in the year, impacting their performance on the track. Nevertheless, Blaney celebrated his first victory in one of the sport’s premier events, the Coca-Cola 600.
Blaney’s two victories in the playoffs, at Talladega and Martinsville, tie him with Larson for the most postseason wins this year.
This is a stark contrast to Blaney’s performance in last year’s playoffs. In the Round of 8, he made a mistake at Las Vegas that resulted in a crash. The following week, he spun on the access road at Homestead after exiting pit road, ruining a strong race.
Blaney shared his perspective on these setbacks, saying, “All you can do is try to learn from those mistakes, be a smarter race car driver, and understand the bigger picture. That’s the biggest thing I took away from it. We all make mistakes, but it’s about learning from them.”
Last year, Blaney finished second to his teammate Joey Logano at Phoenix, watching Logano win the championship. It was hard not to think about what could have been if Blaney had avoided his mistakes and made it to the title race.
Crew chief Jonathan Hassler commented on Blaney’s growth, saying, “He realizes that if you take out those mistakes, he could have been a champion. He worked hard in the offseason to improve his mental focus and endurance. He’s made tremendous progress this year.”
Olivia Carter revs up excitement in the world of NASCAR. As a dedicated motorsports enthusiast, she covers race results, driver profiles, and the latest developments in the NASCAR world, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
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