Ryan Blaney describes emotional reaction in the car immediately after winning NASCAR championship

Ryan Blaney was rightfully emotional after capturing his first NASCAR Cup Series title last weekend at Phoenix.

Tears welled in his eyes as he crossed the finish line, as his achieved a lifetime goal on Sunday. Afterwards, he elaborated on why his reaction was so visceral, and who was on his mind when he officially became a champion.

“It doesn’t ever work because your hands are already sweaty. So you’re just wiping sweat in your eyes,” Blaney joked, explaining how impossible it is to wipe away tears with racing gloves, via FOX’s Bob Pockrass. “But I definitely got emotional. I started tearing up on the last lap a little bit and then once I crossed the finish line, it was hard getting everything out because I went back and was thinking of all the people who helped me get to this point, everyone through my early days — late model career, Tommy Baldwin who helped me out so much, Brad [Keselowski] gave me a shot, Roger [Penske], all the people who put in to give me a shot.

“You just start thinking about it and thanking them and thinking about the days you just got started and would you ever think you’d make it to where you are now. That part I think was the most emotional for me.”

Alas, it wasn’t always a sure shot, Blaney winning the 2023 title. The No. 12 team had their ups and downs this season, and the journey all went into Blaney’s emotions following the race.

“Internally, in our group, there was a lot of pride to be felt because we won the 600 in Charlotte, things are looking pretty decent [in May], and then we just go through a little time of just struggling and just having no speed,” Blaney added. “And it can get frustrating internally and with us, too, because it’s like, where are we getting beat? What’s the biggest part of us lacking speed, where do we go? 

“And everyone just did a lot of hard work. Should be proud of the work they put in through the end of the summer to get to the playoffs. They had a deadline. We were like, we need to find something to be competitive in the playoffs because how we’re running right now is not going to get the job done… Did the job. They met that deadline. And once the playoffs rolled around, we found the speed we needed to. Especially in the last half of the playoffs.”

Now the goal becomes winning another title for Ryan Blaney. But for now, the young star is going to enjoy his first.