Autosport Top 50 of 2024: #34 Ryan Blaney

He was agonisingly near changing into the primary driver to win back-to-back titles in NASCAR’s knockout format, however there was nonetheless a lot to be happy with for Ryan Blaney in 2024.

It was a 12 months that mirrored his championship season in some ways, together with how the ultimate two races went. Regardless of shedding the title struggle, his drive within the closing laps at Phoenix was nonetheless mightily spectacular, erasing a three-second hole to Penske team-mate Joey Logano whereas battling a number of formidable drivers.

He could have received the title in 2023, however this 12 months Blaney solidified his place as a championship-level driver. 

How Blaney impressed regardless of developing quick in historic mission 

Profitable back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles is a particularly tough feat, and it is solely gotten more durable within the trendy period. For the reason that elimination-style format was launched in 2014, it has by no means been performed. Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Larson all failed.  

In reality, there weren’t many who thought Ryan Blaney might be the primary to do it. And but, he got here extremely shut. 

It is one thing we have not seen in NASCAR because the finish of Johnson’s legendary five-year dominance in 2010. Blaney replicated lots of his stats from his 2023 title run, even profitable his means into the finale with a victory within the penultimate race but once more.

At Phoenix too, the outcome was the identical – but the end result was totally different. Final 12 months, a runner-up end was sufficient to safe Blaney his first Cup title, as non-playoff driver Ross Chastain claimed victory. This 12 months, it was Joey Logano taking the checkered flag and the championship with him. 

However whereas Logano was victorious, Blaney’s efficiency within the closing stint of the race was one thing to behold. Final 12 months, he practically crumbled after Chastain’s aggressive blocks drove him to the breaking level. It seemed as if Blaney was about crash whereas attempting to struggle a driver for a win he did not want.

However in 2024, we noticed a really totally different Blaney. Nonetheless fiery as ever on the radio, however when the second got here, he locked in and drove like a real champion.  

On the ultimate restart, Logano and Blaney had been side-by-side. Whereas Logano discovered a fast path to the lead, Blaney was mired again in site visitors. However this time, he did not come undone. As an alternative, he methodically reduce his means ahead, passing Kyle Larson after which title rival William Byron earlier than going through a frightening three-second hole to Logano with simply 30 laps left.  

Unfazed, he sliced away on the margin till practically reaching the again bumper of Logano. He by no means accomplished the move, however the drive itself was worthy of a champion. It was paying homage to what he pulled off every week earlier in his quest to make the Championship 4, driving from tenth to 1st to win at Martinsville.

Whereas Blaney is not a back-to-back champion, drives like that recommend he’ll be a multi-time champion quickly sufficient. 

Blaney drops 11 locations on this 12 months’s rankings, however proved some extent together with his title-contending season

Photograph by: Danny Hansen / NKP / Motorsport Photographs