Ryan Blaney has been the reigning NASCAR Cup Sequence champion since February, however starting Sunday afternoon, he’s now on championship protection.
However the Crew Penske driver doesn’t really feel that makes him a goal.
“I’ve gotten wrecked rather a lot this 12 months, greater than different years, so I don’t know if which means I’ve a bullseye on my again,” Blaney mentioned with fun earlier this week. “I don’t suppose it’s intentional; it simply appears that means. However no (goal on us). I really feel like we’ve sort of taken it as we’ve to defend our championship.
“We’re nonetheless in title protection — till the 12 months is over and also you don’t win it, you’re nonetheless in title protection. So, I feel that’s motivated us rather a lot — everyone seems to be sort of gunning for you. … All people is envious of the place you’re at, and everybody desires to take it away from you, and so they need the skin to cease speaking about you being the champ. They need to be that. I used to be the identical means earlier than we gained the championship.”
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Blaney gained the championship in his first Championship 4 look. It occurred in his eighth full Cup Sequence season and he turned the lowest-seeded driver, from the No. 12 place, to win the championship within the elimination period.
The No. 12 group finds it motivating to be those chased or those with all of the eyes on what they’re doing. Blaney desires it recognized how good his group is, and he additionally desires to verify they keep in mind themselves by delivering that message earlier than one other postseason begins.
“I need to scare each different group,” Blaney mentioned. “I would like you guys to be so good that everybody is nervous about us after we unload, and that’s sort of the mindset we’ve tried to have as a result of I feel that’s an important mindset for everybody on the group. You need everybody worrying about you since you will be that harmful, and I feel we undoubtedly are. Hopefully that carries over.”
It was arduous to argue that Blaney and his group weren’t peaking on the proper time when the common season ended. Blaney gained two of the ultimate 10 races and had 5 top-10 finishes. He additionally led 286 laps in that stretch.
Blaney was sixth within the championship standings after Darlington Raceway. He was reseeded fifth with 18 playoff factors.
There isn’t a denying that Blaney and the group are a lot better ready for a playoff run this 12 months than in 2023.
“I mentioned it a few months in the past, I believed our group was in an important spot,” he mentioned. “Mentally, performance-wise, whether or not that’s on pit highway (or) that’s on the racetrack, I really feel like we’re actually good. I believed this time final 12 months we had been sort of scrounging to determine how are we going to carry out how we have to as a result of we had been off just a little bit and this 12 months, I feel we’re in a a lot better spot. So, hopefully, we will proceed to convey that very same tempo and proceed to study on the tempo that we’ve been bringing the previous couple of months.
“However yeah, this group is in a means higher spot. I feel we as a complete, too, as a Crew Penske, are in a a lot better spot as effectively. Hopefully which means rather a lot for all three of our automobiles and (Harrison Burton) to make a very good run at it.”
