Ryan Blaney names his ‘biggest MVP’ and it’s not his ex-NASCAR driver dad, Dave Blaney
Ryan Blaney's clutch form earned him the 2023 Cup series title.
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Dave Blaney and Ryan Blnaney at Pocono, 2013 August 3 (Via IMAGO)
Team Penske Racing’s Ryan Blaney secured his maiden NASCAR Cup Series title last Sunday at Phoenix, finishing the race P2 behind the winner Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing. He became the third Cup champion for Roger Penske, and it also marked their first-ever back-to-back championship triumph.
Blaney is a third-generation racer from a family of champion race drivers. His grandfather, Lau Blaney, was a successful racer in the Midwest. Ryan’s father, Dave, and his uncle, Dale, have had their fair share of success in the Sprint car racing scene. Dave has won the World of Outlaws Championship and UASC Silver Crown as well. He has made 471 starts in the Cup series.
Dave Blaney, who had just won an Xfinity Series race in his career, had never been able to fight for the title but fulfilled his championship dreams through his son. He played a significant role in grooming him to be the champion driver. But for Blaney, there was another person in his life who played the role of MVP, and it was none other than his mother, Lisa Blaney. He highlighted her sacrifices to get him where he is now while explaining his father’s role in his success.
I just grew up wanting to be like dad, and I was really lucky to have a shot to do what he did and to race, and you know, to look back on that stuff, my childhood, and being around the racetracks…I think my mom’s the biggest MVP, though, I mean how much she sacrificed when I was a kid.Blaney said via Live Kenny and Mark.
Dave Blaney is a proud dad seeing his son with the trophy
After the race, Blaney celebrated the historic triumph on the podium with his whole family and his dad. Dave was a proud dad and was pretty vocal about it after the race. He admitted that he is proud of everything that Ryan did and said that he knew his son had it in him to one day become a world champion.
I’m just proud of him, just proud of his accomplishments. Proud of the way he goes about it, great kid. I’ve seen this in him since he was a little kid, seen what he can do behind the wheel, but there’s a lot more to it to make it to this point, and he made it happen.
Blaney has much more to achieve in his career, and an amazing crew at Penske that will help him achieve those goals. He and the No:12 Ford Mustang team have to continue delivering under pressure, and if that happens, 2023 won’t be his final championship year.
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Justin P Joy
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