The 29-year-old third-generation driver for Team Penske didn’t look like a Cup championship contender early in the season. But when it counted the most – in the playoffs – Ryan Blaney and his #12 Ford team were at their best.
Critical playoff wins at Talladega and Martinsville advanced him to the Championship 4 at Phoenix for the first time.
After Christopher Bell wrecked out early, Blaney then bested two of the year’s top drivers – Hendrick team-mates William Byron and Kyle Larson (the 2021 Cup champion) had won the most races and led most laps respectively – to earn his first series title.
Blaney’s breakthrough helped cap another banner year for motorsport icon Roger Penske. His breakthrough NASCAR Cup Series championship was the fourth for Team Penske and 44th motorsport title in the organisation’s storied history.
Although he finished second in the season finale – Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain won the race – Blaney was highest among the four title contenders and handed Penske his second consecutive Cup title. Penske has now won both Cup championships since the introduction of the Next Gen car into the series in 2022, following Joey Logano’s success last year.
Source: Autosport