Ford’s Flagbearer Ryan Blaney Can Contest Title Rival’s Top-5 Milestone in Bristol

NASCAR legend and former SHR driver, Kevin Harvick, recently gave his verdict about Ryan Blaney, saying, “He’s kind of the guy carrying the flag for Ford right now.” Fresh off his championship ride in 2023, Blaney has been the best Ford driver since the start of this season. While the Daytona 500 was one to forget, he has quickly turned things around, currently sitting atop the points table, despite not having won any of the 4 races so far. Further, he is also the only Ford driver in the current top-ten driver standings. Going into the Bristol race, he would want to cap off this consistent run with a win, but that’s not the only big play here. Ryan Blaney is on the verge of breaking a dominant record by Kyle Larson.

Blaney could shatter the record held by HMS’ #5 driver for most consistent finishes from his title-winning 2021 season. NASCAR statistic expert, Ryan Trey, shared this insightful stat via his X account. He wrote, “Ryan Blaney has finished top 5 in 6 of the last 7 Cup Series races. He is the first driver to do this since Kyle Larson did it in 2021 (he had 7 Top 5s in 8 races).”

It’s worth noting that Blaney could have secured his playoff spot with a win at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. But Daniel Suarez won by the finest of margins, in one of the most iconic moments in NASCAR’s history. He followed up with some more strong showings, finishing at #3 in Vegas and #5 in Phoenix, thus making him one of the top contenders to grab the win at Bristol this Sunday.

While Blaney is looking strong this season, the same is not the case for his teammate, Joey Logano, who has been struggling to find his mojo since the start of the season.

Logano is not hitting the panic button just yet, despite his recent woes in delivering results

The 2-time Cup Series champion is currently sitting at #30, with just 51 points in the driver’s standings, lagging well behind his teammate Blaney. While performance on the track has been a concern for the 33-year-old, the wrecks and accidents certainly haven’t helped his cause in breaking his 35-race winless streak either. However, he can still secure his playoff berth with a win, and the driver is confident in his team’s approach.

“This is the same team that has won two championships—a team that knows how to do it. Paul knows. We all know. We don’t really have to talk about it a whole bunch. I know the situation. We know who we are. We can fight it out,” said Logano via NASCAR.com.

With Blaney looking to continue his dominating run and Logano in search of his vital win, the race at Bristol Motor Speedway makes for an interesting watch for the onlookers.

Read More: 35-Race Winless Joey Logano Shows Mental Resilience Despite “Freakin’ Miserable” Phase in the NASCAR Cup Series