NASCAR
Ryan Blaney’s 2022 Stacked Up Against Recent Winless Seasons
By all accounts, Ryan Blaney had a stellar 2022 campaign. In his seventh full-time NASCAR Cup Series season, driver 12 made his third Round of 8 appearance. Unlike every year since 2017 however, Blaney went 0-36 in wins. Despite the All-Star Race victory, the Penske team failed to win a points-paying race all season long. Even with failing to find victory lane, Blaney still put up an incredible body of work. As a result, his 2022 efforts are comparable to some other recent great-yet-winless NASCAR seasons.
In 2022, Ryan Blaney put up 12 top-fives, 17 top-10s, a whopping 636 laps led, and an average finish of 13.6. This stat line was good enough for eighth in points, but that only partly tells the story of Blaney’s 2022. The 12 team was among the most consistent in the sport all year long. They would briefly grab the points lead, and remain among top-five in the standings for most of the regular season.
Blaney’s early season speed especially showed through in qualifying, with three poles in the first seven weeks. The 12 led in all but two races through May’s Coca-Cola 600. Blaney also had wins escape his grasp late at the Daytona 500, Phoenix, and Richmond. Even with plenty of poles, laps led, and Stage wins, the 12 could not put a full race together no matter what.
Being winless after week 26, Blaney was the lone Playoff contender on points. The 12 would come as close as they were to victory all year long at Talladega in October. Blaney lost out in a photo finish to Chase Elliott. Despite that narrow 0.046 second defeat, Blaney would transfer onto the Round of 8. The unthinkable possibility of a winless Cup Series champion was still very much alive.
Blaney’s Round of 8 was a true microcosm of their season to date. In Las Vegas, Blaney had arguably the car to beat and was chasing down Joey Logano late, only to get loose and make wall contact. A similar story befell in Homestead, while running third he missed a shift and spun coming off of pit road. In the Martinsville elimination race, a relatively quiet day ended with the 12 in third. However this was not enough, ending his championship run a week early due to both self-inflicted issues in prior weeks.
Phoenix was only added insult to injury for Blaney, as he led 109 laps only to finish second to teammate Joey Logano. Blaney had at least four quality chances at a win this season. The finale would prove that the 12 was on par with the series champion. How does Blaney’s 2022 compare to other recent winless seasons?
2021: Kevin Harvick
Just one year ago, Kevin Harvick was good enough for fifth in points with no wins. The 4 did however have 10 top-fives, 24 top-10s, and an average finish of 10.9. Harvick did have a win elude him at the Bristol Night Race. Despite that, his 2021 was immortalized for the Chase Elliott feud born in that moment. Harvick’s stunning winless 2021 also came after a nine-win 2020 season, to the surprise of many.
2017: Chase Elliott
Speaking of Chase Elliott, his second Cup season was a memorable one, also finishing fifth without any wins. In 2017, the eventual star driver had 12 top-fives, 21 top-10s, and an average finish of 12th with 560 laps led. Elliott’s sophomore season was characterized by heartbreaking Playoff losses at Dover, Martinsville, and Phoenix. The very next season though, Elliott would string together his first three career victories.
2014: Matt Kenseth/Ryan Newman
2014 also saw a few great seasons put forth by winless drivers. Matt Kenseth, who won seven times the year prior, was seventh in the final tally with 22 top-10s and a 13.2 average finish. However, all headlines were nearly stolen by Ryan Newman. The Richard Childress Racing veteran almost broke the new winning-emphasized Playoffs, finishing second in points. Newman’s 2014 saw five top-fives, 16 top-10s, a 12.7 average finish, and just 41 laps led. The RCR No. 31 team would finish a close championship runner-up to Kevin Harvick.
While this year for Matt Kenseth is remembered with a few close runner-ups, Ryan Newman had a far flashier moment. In the penultimate race at Phoenix, Newman moved Kyle Larson out of the way for a Championship 4 berth, eliminating Jeff Gordon. The debut season of the elimination-style Playoff format also saw its first do-or-die move for a shot at the ultimate prize.
2013: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The year prior, Dale Earnhardt Jr. failed to find victory lane, but also finished fifth in points. The Steve Letarte-led No. 88 Hendrick team saw 22 top-10s, a 12.6 average finish, and 342 laps led. This season laid the groundwork for what would be a four-win 2014 for Earnhardt, returning to his vintage form.
Under the recent multitude of Playoff formats, which of these winless seasons stand out as the best? That honor could go to Blaney, but he failed to make the Championship 4, unlike Ryan Newman. Blaney’s average finish also trails many of those listed above, but was also amidst a parity-filled 19 winners season. Harvick’s 2021 also deserves its praise due to so many top-10s. In short, Blaney’s 2022 results were impressive, but pale in comparison to other recent winless years.
Other Notable Winless Years
When going back into the non-Playoff modern era, a few winless seasons do also stand out. Under a completely different format though, these efforts are difficult to compare against modern Playoff years.
1997 saw Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott both go 0-32. Earnhardt battled health issues while Elliott struggled as a driver/owner. The 3 would still finish 1997 in fifth, with Elliott’s No. 94 team in eighth.
Terry Labonte ended 1982 third in points but lacking any wins. The eventual two-time champion and Hall of Famer only had one win to his credit at this time.
Coming off his first championship, Dale Earnhardt struggled mightily in 1981, but still eked out seventh in the final points. This came after racing for three separate teams.
Dave Marcis was fifth in the 1978 championship without any trips to victory lane. This campaign was with Osterlund Racing, where Earnhardt would win the 1980 championship.
Years before ever winning a championship, Bobby Allison was fourth in points after a winless 1976. This year marked the end of Allison’s tenure at Penske Racing.
As a defending champion, Benny Parsons went winless as well in 1974, but still managed to be fifth in points. After his one-victory championship season, Parsons wouldn’t find another win until the 1975 Daytona 500.
Lastly, career-winless driver Cecil Gordon put together an incredible stretch in the early 1970s. Across three seasons from 1971-1973, Gordon was third, fourth, and third in points.
If recent history with great winless seasons shows anything, then Ryan Blaney should have a great 2023 bounce back. Far from a young driver lacking experience, Blaney showed incredible versatility and performance across every track type in 2022. Blaney’s winning chances will begin at the Daytona 500 in February. The 12 has found just about every way to lose The Great American Race in recent years. Can Blaney put up another multi-win campaign like 2021 and potentially take his first championship? Blaney should be a near-weekly threat for multiple victories in 2023. The ceiling will be high for the 12 team in the new year, as they try and deliver Roger Penske back-to-back titles.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Sean Gardner/Getty Images for NASCAR
