Ryan Blaney emotional during championship speech: 'I wanted to be like my Dad'

In Nashville on Thursday night, Ryan Blaney formally accepted the NASCAR Cup Series championship. He was emotional in his acceptance speech. The 2023 champion comes from a line of racers, and he was more than happy to thank his dad and grandfather, Dave and Lou.

The Champion’s Week celebration is a lot of fun. While we didn’t get to see a live broadcast, it is coming up on Peacock in just a couple of days. Still, we know what Blaney said at the event as he took the stage.

As he stood a the podium in Nashville, he went back to his family, whose racing journey started in 1958 when Lou suited up for the first time. Then Dave took the mantle and won a World of Outlaws championship, before becoming a Cup Series regular.

“I really wish my grandfather could be here,” Blaney said quietly, via NBC Sports, “and share it with my dad.”

Blaney made sure to let his dad know how grateful he was for all he had done for his career.

“Obviously, growing up, watching Dad race, that’s just what I wanted to do, and I wanted to be like my Dad,” Blaney said. “I was super lucky to be able to see that at a young age and get the whole spectrum of seeing what it’s like as a driver, seeing how teams operated.”

A big night full of a lot of emotions for Ryan Blaney and his family.

“When I wrote that [line[, I was like that’s the one that is going to be the one that is going to get me and is going to get my dad, too,” Blaney said of his reference to his grandfather.

Ryan Blaney continues championship celebration

The celebration continued last night and will likely keep going for Ryan Blaney. The offseason is the time for the champion to make his round and do some marketing for NASCAR as a whole. Blaney is going to be a great ambassador.

Already, we are getting close to the 2024 season. There is still Christmas and the New Year to get through. However, by the time we get to January, we are on the downhill side of the offseason. The new season is going to bring a lot of promise for Blaney and the Ford camp.

Ford has changed the body style of their Cup Series cars. They are racing the Mustang Dark Horse body which features a new aero design. Toyota also has a new Cup car design for the Camry XSE.

Just a couple of months until we see Ryan Blaney begin his journey for another championship.