This past Sunday, Ryan Blaney locked in his Round of 8 berth after winning at the Talladega Superspeedway. It wasn’t easy because he faced stiff competition from several rivals. Chief among them was Stewart-Haas Racing driver and fellow Ford driver, Kevin Harvick. As it turns out, the retiring NASCAR driver gave it a very good shot at winning on his final visit to the track. Blaney barely beat Harvick in a photo finish, though the latter got disqualified later. But that’s another story.

At the moment, Blaney is the only one flying the flag for Team Penske. Previously, he had a bit of help from Joey Logano, but the #22 driver got eliminated in the opening round. Harvick was also eliminated early, and this run for a race win was just for pride. Especially considering that he was retiring at the end of the season, there was extra motivation. Back to Blaney, though. He was in excellent form, winning the opening stage. Admittedly, Stage 2 was tougher, and he finished outside the Top 10, but he made up for it by winning the final stage.

Can Ryan Blaney make it two back-to-back championships for Team Penske?

Last year, Joey Logano came from almost nowhere to sneak into the Championship 4 and eventually took the title. Unfortunately, Logano cannot repeat this feat, so the onus lies on Blaney’s shoulders. The YellaWood 500 triumph is the #12 driver’s second win of the season and he could be a dark horse for the championship.

Of course, the two remaining Hendrick Motorsports drivers are the perennial favorites. Meanwhile, the Joe Gibbs Racing trio is not to be underestimated, and other contenders are quite strong as well. Nevertheless, the Team Penske star is leading from the front and is gunning for his maiden Cup title.

Without a doubt, teammates Joey Logano and Austin Cindric will try and aid in his efforts. Back in 2022, Logano finished 4th at Darlington and did enough to reach the Round of 12. Later on, he finished second at Texas and scored enough points to reach the Round of 8. Finally, he won at Las Vegas and that guaranteed a Championship 4 berth, so he could relax until the finale. At the end, Logano snatched victory at the Phoenix Raceway to win the 2022 Cup Series title.

How has the Team Penske driver performed in the Playoffs so far?

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Admittedly, Blaney has done just about enough to keep himself in contention so far. He kicked things off with a 9th place finish at Darlington and did enough to reach the Round of 12. However, he got off to a rough start in the first race at the Texas Motor Speedway. Then he officially bounced back last weekend at Talladega with his emphatic win.

Now, ahead of the NASCAR Cup race at the Charlotte Roval, Blaney and William Byron are sitting pretty high on the list. With the latter winning at the Texas Motor Speedway, he and the Team Penske driver are under no pressure. So they can just go about their business and wait for the other six spots to fill themselves up. Many would agree that the 29-year-old Blaney is underrated as he has been a consistent Playoff contender. In addition to that, he has been a Top 10 presence for the last six seasons.

Why Ryan Blaney might just win the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship

This year, most of the Fords have been in good form, mainly Team Penske and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. Earlier this year, the #12 driver triumphed at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. In other words, he won the Coca-Cola 600, which is a crown jewel event in the NASCAR Cup Series. This resulted in him snapping a winless streak that lasted for more than a year. Aside from the two wins, he has three Top 5 finishes and nine Top 10 finishes. He also notched up a handful of stage wins in 2023, so he could be in a good shout.

Coming to this weekend’s race at the Roval, Blaney could be a favorite, since he won the oval race earlier this season. However, it is worth mentioning that winning at the oval and winning at the road course, are two different things. Looking at the next few races, he won at the Roval in 2018 after Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr took each other out. However, he has never won the South Point 400, the Dixie Vodka 400, the Xfinity 500 or the season finale. However, there is always a first time for everything. If you ask us, keeping last year’s events in mind, we won’t rule out a Ford till the last moment. And it only strengthens Blaney’s case that the Blue Oval has had a great year compared to the recent past.

READ MORE: “Start Beating the Sh*t out of It”- Ryan Blaney Reveals How NASCAR’s Greatest Crew Chief Clipped His Wings in Victory Lane

The Team Penske driver was thrilled to win at Talladega

As per ESPN, after driving to the victory lane he said, “It was a pretty wild restart, let alone the last couple of laps, losing momentum and getting it back, just getting clear to the bottom to get to the front row and drag race it out with Kevin. To win here three times at Talladega is super cool.”

Now the big question is, can Blaney get this 10th cup win in the following races? The #12 driver has proven that he can mix it up with the best of them. One has to seriously wonder if he can pull a Joey Logano and snatch a maiden Cup Series championship from under everyone’s noses. He could be a strong contender for the win at Las Vegas, but he could struggle at Homestead. Blaney also stands a good chance at Martinsville as long as he can have a clean race. He has often performed well there, finishing as the runner-up, leading a few laps, and winning a few stages.

From a realistic perspective, Martinsville is his best shot of reaching the Championship 4. However, the likes of William Byron, Denny Hamlin, and others could be massive threats. But what is your take? Can Team Penske do it all over again?

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