Ryan Blaney opens up about team's emotions after his NASCAR championship victory

Prior to his win in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, Ryan Blaney had gone 59 races without a victory.

His chances at being a contender for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship at that time looked bleak, staring at another season where he’d have to race his way into the playoffs on points. But after finding his way to victory lane at Charlotte following a 163-lap leading performance, Blaney was suddenly a player, just as long as he found consistency during the 10-race postseason.

That he did, as Blaney was at his best in the final six races of the season. Blaney notched two wins, a top-10 and two runner-up finishes. A second-place finish in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway this past Sunday clinched him his first Cup Series title — a tremendous accomplishment for a driver and a team that struggled to find speed through various parts of the 2023 campaign.

“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 told Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports this week. “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? 

Ryan Blaney continues Team Penske dominance

“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.”

Team Penske now has captured back-to-back championships in the Cup Series for the first time after Joey Logano won his second-career title last season.

“He really matured over the last say, two months. He learned how to win. Win fairly and squarely. That racing today was outstanding,” car owner Roger Penske said after the race. “To think about, Kyle Larson came up here, gave him a big thanks. His great buddy [Chase] Elliott did too. But I think being a champion like he is, when he walks in somewhere, he’s going to get the accolades.

“And again, I think in the garage area, his stock is at the highest among these drivers. That’s more important than anything.”