Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney is one driver who has come of age of late in the sport. The Team Penske driver solidified his name as one of the best last year with his championship run that saw the #12 driver and crew hand Roger Penske back-to-back championship trophies.
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Ryan Blaney’s calm persona outside the car could lead some to believe that driving for one of the top NASCAR teams and biggest names in global motorsports does not come with pressures of its own. However, if his in-car persona is anything to go by, it is quite the opposite.
Thankful for our partners and the 12-Team for a hard fought race. Thought we had a great strategy and know we were fast. It stinks to lose it that way. We just have to keep forging ahead with our determination. pic.twitter.com/jOtPcJr8MP
— Ryan Blaney (@Blaney) July 22, 2024
The 30-year-old driver recently elaborated on how challenging driving a stock car at and often over the limit during a three, sometimes four, or five-hour-long event can be. Fans of the sport who have no racing experience either in reality or in the sim racing world often consider the driver’s job as easy. He spoke about the same perception and how that is not the case at all.
“How hard it is. And that’s with any professional sport. I have no idea what it’s like to try and hit a 100-mile-per-hour fastball. I know it’s extremely difficult, but I have never put myself in those shoes. It’s the same with racing. You don’t know how difficult it is to try to be on the edge of control every lap without stepping over it.”-Blaney told The Athletic.
He added, “Anyone can drive a race car, but how the heck do you go faster than everybody else? That’s the hardest part about it, is trying to find that grip and limit. People who don’t race don’t have that experience of actually how difficult it is to be good and successful as a race car driver.”
With two wins to his name so far this season, Ryan Blaney looks poised to challenge once again for the biggest prize in NASCAR. It remains to be seen if he is able to successfully defend his crown from last year.
Blaney elaborates on the contributions of his team behind his wins on track
While the #12 Ford Mustang driver gets to be the face of the team each time he visits victory lane in the sport, Ryan Blaney also touched on how winning a NASCAR Cup Series race in the Next Gen era is an extremely difficult task to achieve. With the levels of parity NASCAR has seen ever since the advent of the new car, the team’s role behind a winning driver is all the more crucial.
Our 12-Team continues to fight, regardless of the adversity. Can’t take that away from our crew. Such an amazing weekend, hope we get another shot to show what we can do. Thank you to all of the fans and partners for their support. pic.twitter.com/U64FeryYMp
— Ryan Blaney (@Blaney) July 8, 2024
Blaney added how this aspect of the sport is also majorly missed by the casual viewer and said, “How much work goes into the week leading up to a race. How many hands touch a race car before it actually gets on track. And even before a car is built, the engineering process behind it, how many people it has to go through and all the minds involved in it. It’s super tough to get good people around you and get good people in your organization.”
It remains to be seen if the Ohio native can defend his crown this year. With the #12 crew and driver’s performances picking up as the field approaches the postseason, we might be on for another Ryan Blaney master class this season akin to last year.
