Ryan Blaney comes from a family that has worshipped racing. The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion seemed to be destined for success, with his lineage boasting winners across different motorsport circuits. However, Ryan Blaney has always achieved something that will be added to the family’s trophy cabinet for the first time: the NASCAR Cup Series championship trophy.

Ryan’s father, Dave Blaney, has started in 473 Cup races in his career and graced the asphalt for 17 years in NASCAR’s top flight. A former World of Outlaws champion, Dave sure knows a thing or two about winning championships. Welcoming another memento of pride and success into the house, Ryan Blaney looks up to his father to find a fitting place to showcase the pinnacle of stock-car racing.

Ryan Blaney hopes to add a touch of his dad’s finesse to his Bill France Cup

Dave Blaney is all set to welcome Ryan and his glittering silverware! Speaking on the Motor Racing Network podcast NASCAR Live, Blaney revealed Dave’s preparation to give him a warm welcome alongside a place to flaunt their trophy. The 29-year-old answered host Mike Bagley’s question about where the award would sit in his house as he said, “Yeah, you know, I got to do some digging on that.”

“When I get mine, I’m probably going to do that today. Ask some questions and figure out when that thing is arriving. I’ll find a spot for it. I don’t have many trophies in my house, but Dad made a really cool display for all my first NASCAR win trophies in each series. Maybe I’ll be able to make him a bit of a cage on this one. I think it’s the first championship; I’ll definitely keep it in my house. I’ll see what Dad can build for it.”

Not just Dave Blaney, but his brother Dale and father Lou have been stock car champions at some point in their careers, too. Lou is the winner of multiple Midwest Stock Car Tours, while Ryan’s uncle Dale has excelled in the Sprint Car sector, even clinching a championship. Adding the Cup Series championship to the family’s glorious history creates a perfect blend of versatile feats in racing. But, as for Ryan, he had to fight through to make his title dream come true!

The Ohio-born racer brushed aside his Round of 8 woes this year to advance to the Final 4 for the first time. Before 2023, Blaney had been eliminated from the Round of 8 three times in a row. As frustrating as the statistics are, he did not allow the feeling to drag him down at Martinsville in the season’s penultimate race. With the coveted trophy in his sight, he wanted to live his father’s dream of becoming a Cup champion, which he did. Dave Blaney also made sure he provided his son with the confidence he needed!

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Dave Blaney, the unknown voice behind the championship victory

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Dave Blaney has never had the fortune of winning a race in the Cup Series. Even after coming incredibly close to winning in the top division, he failed to cross the finish line ahead of his competitors. However, that hasn’t stopped him from being instrumental in his son’s career. Ryan understands the same and is grateful for his father’s belief and contribution to his success.

“Everyone knows how reserved my dad is, but my whole life, he has known exactly what to say at just the right time,” the Team Penske star claimed in a conversation with ESPN. “But I don’t know if he was ever as perfectly helpful as he has been this fall. He believed in our chances to win a championship all along, even when those of us on the team probably had our doubts.”

Considering the inconsistency the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 winner showed in the regular season, the team’s doubts were justified. Maintaining consistent results had been a problem for #12, but Dave Blaney never stopped believing in his son’s potential.

Reminiscing the buildup to the Round of 8 following Ryan’s win at Talladega, the No.12 driver said, “We won at Talladega, so we’re in the Round of 8, and after, Dad just said to me, ‘Now I can really see it. I can see the path to a championship.'”

Dave has been a pillar of strength for junior Blaney throughout his life. But with the stakes at their highest and a sense of self-doubt set in, he stepped up to the occasion and instilled belief in the No.12 team. Truly an unsung hero of a memorable championship-winning campaign!

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