What’s the 2024 Ceiling for Defending Champion Ryan Blaney?

by
Peter Stratta
November 10, 2023

Photo Credit to Chris Graythen/Getty Images

What’s Next for 2024 Cup Series Champion Ryan Blaney?

Fresh off winning the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series title, expectations have changed for Ryan Blaney. Representing the Premier Series of American motorsports as its champion, many will ask if Blaney can repeat. Heading into a new year as the top dog, can Blaney take the big leap forward into regular contender?

Back-to-back Cup titles have nor occurred for almost a decade-and-a-half. The last to take two crowns in consecutive seasons was Jimmie Johnson’s run of five-straight championships from 2006-2010. Under the Playoff elimination format, the closest any driver has come to repeating was a runner-up, by both Kevin Harvick (2014-2015) and Martin Truex Jr (2017-2018). Blaney will become the latest man to attempt this feat.

Following the championship-winning drive in Phoenix, Blaney was asked where he now fits among the driver hierarchy at Team Penske.

“(Roger Penske) has always done an amazing job of there’s not like a number one, number two, number three drivers,” Blaney said. “As a driver, when you’re not winning as many races as Brad (Keselowski) and Joey (Logano) when I came into it, you feel like that, the number three driver, number two driver now. That’s just like a personal mindset that drivers get.

“Now I think Joey has two, I have one. It’s like, all right, still a half a percent down of him (smiling). No, I mean, we have a great group over there. Joey has been fantastic. Working with Austin (Cindric) is awesome. Harrison (Burton) is fantastic, as well.

“I just enjoy driving for amazing people like Team Penske folks, Mr. Penske, Walter, Bud Denker, Tim Cindric, Mike Nelson. It’s just fun to be there. I couldn’t really imagine myself anywhere else. They’ve been fantastic with me for over 10 years. Hopefully I get to spend another at least 10 more over there.”

2023 saw Blaney tie his personal best for wins in a single season with three trips to victory lane. Across each of Team Penske’s last three titles with Blaney and Joey Logano (2018, 2022), the most any of them has won was four times. Blaney’s confidence and faith both in himself and his No. 12 team have never been higher. This should allow for ample return to the front early and often in 2024.

This past year saw Blaney end his long winless drought at Charlotte in May, tame Talladega’s fall race, and take a maiden Martinsville victory. Perhaps no win now has eluded the Penske driver more than The Great American Race. Blaney’s best Daytona 500 result was second twice, but he’s been in contention nearly every February trip to Florida.

A defending series champion has not hoisted the Harley J. Earl Trophy since Dale Jarrett in 2000. Blaney and Jarrett are already connected in one way, as the two most recent North Carolina-raised Cup champs. In roughly 100 days, Blaney will have another shot to add his name to the list of NASCAR legends and join Jarrett in a very exclusive club. Blaney already owns a summer Daytona victory (2021) and three Talladega triumphs. YRB can never truly be counted out of any superspeedway race.

Past the Daytona 500, Blaney should be in the running to set a new career high point in wins for 2024. Three checkered flags fell in the 12’s favor in both 2021 and 2023, a new ceiling should be expected. 18 top-10s in 2023 is also just shy of Blaney’s best record, another mark that could be extended.

2023 may have been Blaney’s first Championship 4 appearance, but it was his fifth time in the Round of 8. While a title finale bid is among the hardest thing in NASCAR to handicap, the 12 should now be seen as a yearly threat in the semifinal Playoff round.

Blaney has more than proven the ability to perform on a variety of track types, with few weaknesses anywhere. The 12 being up front should become a regular sight in the new season. This team appears as if their best days are still ahead. Only time will tell though how Ryan Blaney will fare as the defending NASCAR champion. Recent first-time champions including Logano, Elliott, and Larson have all reaffirmed their title status in the following seasons. Looking back on this topic a year from now, it will be fascinating to see just how Blaney has matured in this new territory.