Countless forecasts, laden with myriad statistics, were cast before the onset of the playoff races, each one attempting to predict the champion. Amidst the storm of speculation, Ryan Blaney‘s name consistently appeared, yet never crowned the top of any list. However, a fact paints a compelling portrait: from 19 starts at Talladega, Blaney boasts eight top-10 finishes, six top-fives, and a triumphant trio of wins.

Despite his impressive tally of victories, a recent win at Talladega garnered particular attention. Observers noted an unusual element in his celebratory gestures at the race’s conclusion, a detail later addressed by the Roger Penske driver in the post-race media session, bringing a new layer of intrigue to his rising career arc.

Roger Penske’s driver, Ryan Blaney, unfolds the tale behind his unusual victory comportment

Talladega’s tarmac whispered tales of Blaney’s back-to-back triumphs in 2019 and 2020. He claimed the second spot in the last two on-track skirmishes. Despite the No. 12 team’s intermittent playoff falterings, the superspeedway unfailingly embraced them in its victorious embrace. Blaney’s race at Kansas was marred by a loose wheel, pushing him back by 13 spots, while a speeding penalty and a crash in Texas saw him tumble 24 spots further.

But emerging from the ashes of past defeats, Blaney secured his ninth NASCAR Cup Series victory after a heart-thumping photo finish in the YellaWood 500. The stunning win sealed his spot in the playoff round of eight, inching him tantalizingly close to his inaugural Cup Series championship.

Amidst the euphoria, a keen-eyed reporter highlighted Blaney’s early NASCAR days, marked by an absent celebratory burnout post-victory. When quizzed, Blaney evoked the name of the revered Hall of Fame crew chief, Dale Inman.

Blaney recounted, “Dale Inman pulled me aside one day, and he said, ‘Hey, you don’t see the winner of the Kentucky Derby get off his horse and start beating the sh*t out of it.’ So that’s why I don’t do burnouts. I didn’t do a burnout after one race, and he was like, ‘I like how you don’t do burnouts.’ And then he told me that story.”

As the Team Penske driver now prepares for a likely chiding from Inman, the memory of his jubilant burnout lingers, a testament to a victory hard-earned and richly deserved, even as the road to the championship unfolds before him.

Notably, though, while burnout celebrations often send adrenaline surging through drivers, they’ve at times also received mixed reviews from the legions of NASCAR aficionados.

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Contrary to what many may believe, the burnout—that smoky, rubber-burning spectacle of victory—wasn’t always synonymous with NASCAR celebrations. Long before it became en vogue, victors would modestly drive to Victory Lane or take a triumphant lap, the checkered flag billowing from their car window.

However, as the smoke has roared into tradition, they’re not universally cheered every time. Consider the recent incident involving Ty Gibbs, grandson of Joe Gibbs, unfolding just a month and a half ago. After clinching a win in the Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis, Gibbs’s car morphed into a dramatic, smoke-enshrouded chariot of victory.

Although a visual feast, the obscuring fog of triumph teemed with hidden danger. Amidst oncoming vehicles, his exultant exhibition flirted with catastrophe, leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of the sport’s stalwarts.

Moreover, the taxing demand of burnout on a car’s engine often plants seeds of subsequent mechanical woe, sometimes forcing drivers to a bitter surrender in a future race, as highlighted by Dale Inman.

However, we’d love to know your thoughts about the same. Do you lend your applause to this form of jubilation or stand against the potential risks it unfurls? Let us know in the comments below.

Read More: “Apologized to Some Fans” – Ryan Blaney Declares He Has No Sympathy for Kevin Harvick as Post-Race Conundrums Ruin the Legend’s Final Run