Dale Earnhardt Jr Applauds Ryan Blaney’s “Self Therapy” After Winning the Championship in Phoenix

The battle between Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney continues to be one of the biggest talking points after last weekend. During the season finale, the Trackhouse Racing star did everything that he could to keep the champion from clinching the win. And he was least remorseful about it. Frustrating Blaney by blocking him more than once, Chastain ended up the winner at Phoenix. Though Blaney did get to be champion at the end of the day the tension between the drivers during the race has become a subject in the spotlight.

With the drivers taking their shots against each other in the post-race interviews, the talk of their duel is only more fired up now. Analyzing it in his podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr couldn’t help but admire Ryan Blaney’s maintenance of composure.

Dale Earnhardt Jr backs the aggressive behavior of NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney

Short fuses aren’t new to NASCAR. Almost every driver has his own enemy on the track and a debt to settle. For Trackhouse Racing‘s Ross Chastain, the numbers stacked against him are a little bit on the higher side. Already known for his aggressive driving style, he picked an enemy out of Blaney too at Phoenix. His repeated blockages had left the Team Penske star more than just frustrated. He ended up hitting the back of Chastain’s Camaro, which he later admitted, rather hilariously, was an intentional move.

During the race, Blaney had also hurled abuses against Chastain on his radio and flipped a bird. While many have since questioned the aggressive language and sign usage, Dale Jr does not think too much of it. Conversing with his co-host Mike Davis, he gave the due credit to Blaney mentioning that the driver was the one on the track and that he knew better than the rest of us.

He said, “It’s just so funny if you just kind of ignore that little part and watch Blaney ride around the track. He has his hands up in the air and he’s flipping the bird. He’s like having this sort of conversation with himself and with Chastain.” Davis pitched in, “Therapy. Self-therapy. Self-medication is what that is. That is what the bird finger gives you sometimes. It just feels better.”

Watch Story: Dale Earnhardt Jr Speaks Out on Chaotic Trucks Series Race

Continuing about how Blaney hadn’t meant for Chastain to actually hear these words and see him flip the bird, Junior reasoned his words. He said, “There was like a… It was a flip of the bird and it was like just dash level. It wasn’t like at the windshield. It wasn’t out there at the windshield like, “Boy, I want you to see this one!”

Dale Jr empathizes with Ryan Blaney’s anger admitting his own inabilities

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By winning the battle against Blaney, Chastain had broken a 9-year-old tradition of NASCAR. Since the current format came into play in 2014, only the champion had won the season finale. 2023 is the first time that someone from outside the Championship 4 accomplished the feat. For Ryan Blaney however, the day could have definitely gone a little bit calmer. Dale Jr said on the podcast, “My man Blaney is easily annoyed behind the steering wheel. I’ve said this on the broadcast a couple of times, especially using the word ‘short-fused’ or the phrase, ‘Blaney’s got a short fuse.’

Regardless of everything, Junior acknowledged that he himself hadn’t been able to control his words on the radio when he was a driver. He admitted to Mike Davis, “Sometimes, I have tried to cuss and complain without mashing the button on the radio and it didn’t work.” Understanding where his friend was coming from, Davis laughed, “It doesn’t feel as good, does it? You gotta have somebody hear it.” Dale Jr concluded, “It only relieves the pressure if someone hears it. It doesn’t matter who hears it.”

Ideating that Blaney could maybe have a life coach to whom he speaks on the radio via a separate button in such situations, Dale Jr and Mike Davis got into a brainstorm of solutions to curb displays of anger on the radio.

Read More: “Y’all Have To Put That on Air”- Dale Earnhardt Jr Defends Ryan Blaney’s Phoenix Outburst Amid Lighthearted Hand-Gesture Rave