“Jimmy Spencer Vibes”: Ryan Blaney’s Post Nashville Celebration Has NASCAR Fans in Awe

The 2023 NASCAR Cup champion, Ryan Blaney, struck the perfect chord at Nashville Superspeedway, bagging his first Cup Series win of the season and punching his ticket to the playoffs. The No. 12 Team Penske driver dominated the race, leading 139 of the 300 laps to win the playoff berth.

Carson Hocevar of Spire Motorsports surged to an impressive P2 finish, while Denny Hamlin, also in contention after leading 79 laps and winning Stage 1, had to settle for third place.

Meanwhile, Blaney’s celebration was pure theatre. He climbed atop his Ford, arms aloft, before leaping off the car and dashing into the front grandstands to snatch the checkered flag, later gifting it to an overjoyed young fan.

Nashville Superspeedway also captured the victory with a social post showcasing a lesser-known side of Blaney’s celebration — him lighting up a cigar. The post read, “Earned it. @Blaney | #CB400.” Reporters on-site also noted that Blaney was seen puffing the cigar even as he entered the Media Center, though he promptly extinguished it.

Fans were quick to embrace the old-school vibe. One, echoing the track’s caption, declared, “Damn right,” while another, watching Blaney surrounded by cigar smoke, quipped, “Holy aura.”

One even drew a parallel to Jimmy Spencer, who was famously known for his cigar habits — even sporting one in his helmet at times — remarking, “Jimmy Spencer vibes.”

 

Though Spencer rarely smoked around the track, preferring to chew on cigars, he often lamented the modern constraints on enjoying one in public. There was an image NASCAR wanted the drivers to project, and he was happy to play along, but he considered it a shame that drivers can’t just light up a cigar in more places.

One fan humorously speculated, “A cigar in Tennessee, did @Blaney just beat bama?”

It will certainly be intriguing to hear Blaney’s perspective on the celebration and to discover whether he shares Richard Petty’s well-known love of cigars, or if this was simply a one-off indulgence.