When the 2023 season began, not many would have believed that winning the Cup Series championship was a realistic dream for Ryan Blaney. Even when he overcame a 59-race winless streak midway through the season after clinching the Coca-Cola 600 trophy, he was still largely considered a P9–P16 driver, below fellow Ford drivers like Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick. For many, he almost flew under the radar until Martinsville, but not for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

However, much like others, even Dale Jr was left awestruck when Ryan Blaney seized the championship flag. Though he had chosen Blaney as his pick for the Championship 4 race much before other experts and analysts, he was still left speechless when Blaney blasted his way through Martinsville. Dale Jr’s skepticism over the Team Penske driver was apparent in his latest conversation with the veteran NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace.

Dale Earnhardt Jr contemplates on Ryan Blaney winning the championship

While talking about championship favourites midway through the season, there were a plethora of names that came up. Even Chase Elliott, despite missing out on seven races, was considered a likely contender and put forward by the NASCAR insiders. However, very few had advocated the name of Ryan Blaney as a championship-winning candidate. Moreover, the Team Penske driver was also pulled down by NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty, who had termed him as a modern Kasey Kahne—a potential unfulfilled.

However, the only veteran who had gambled his hopes on the #12 Ford driver was Dale Earnhardt Jr. The JR Motorsports co-owner reiterated his stance on Blaney time and again, and this was also apparent in the final race at Phoenix where he unequivocally supported the driver. However, this doesn’t imply that Dale Jr‘s leap of faith was absolute, and he revealed this in a candid conversation with Kenny Wallace.

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When asked about his unwavering faith in Blaney, Junior expressed, “Well, I’ll be honest. I think I picked Ryan Blaney to win the championship because I think Ryan Blaney as a champion and as a successful in NASCAR, and is good for NASCAR. I didn’t pick Ryan because I saw something, in his performance. I just knew that a Ryan Blaney championship would be positive for us.”

Moreover, it was not just Blaney’s skill as a driver, Junior also had reservations about his temperament, something that the veteran knows can be detrimental to consistently favorable outcomes.

Dale Jr reveals his stance on Ryan Blaney’s anger issues

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Despite his unconditional support for Ryan Blaney, Dale Earnhardt Jr has on several occasions been a harsh critic of the driver and his inability to control his emotions while strapped in the car. Calling out Blaney as a “short fuse” for his temperament, Junior has never shied from talking about Blaney’s flaws. Nonetheless, he was more than elated to witness the Team Penske driver overcoming his flaws.

Speaking to Mike Davis on the latest episode of The Dale Jr. Download, Junior expressed, “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.

Mike Davis also added, “Therapy. Self-therapy. Self-medication is what that is. That is what the bird finger gives you sometimes. It just feels better.”

Dale Jr also added on Blaney flipping the bird, “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!’”

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Having said that, the championship assuredly brought a sense of relief to the Team Penske driver, who had a dismal performance earlier in the year, before turning the tables in the playoffs and clinching the second consecutive championship for Team Penske.