“Unbelievable year, unbelievable playoffs for us,” said 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney after his win at Phoenix. It truly was unbelievable! For much of the season, Blaney wasn’t seen as a top contender, sparking debate over NASCAR’s playoff format and whether it rewards consistent performance.

Had it followed a Formula One-style format, Blaney likely wouldn’t have won. He finished the 2023 regular season 11th, with just one win at Charlotte. Even Ryan Blaney admitted his team wasn’t in the best shape then. Now, entering the playoffs fifth with two wins and 18 playoff points this season, he’s a strong contender for the title.

Ryan Blaney is in a better position now than last year

Blaney’s 2023 Cup Series championship fell short of the dominance displayed by past champions like Joey Logano in 2022 and Kyle Larson in 2021. Blaney had 3 wins, 8 top fives, 18 top 10s, and 562 laps led. Larson had 10 wins, 18 stage wins, 20 top fives, 26 top tens, and 2,581 laps led. While his Penske teammate had 4 wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s, and 784 laps led. Ten of the last eleven champions, including Kyle Busch in 2019 and Martin Truex Jr. in 2017, had more impressive championship seasons than Blaney.

However, the #14 is in a much better situation, going into the 2024 playoffs. Reiterating this as he sat down with SiriusXM NASCAR, Ryan Blaney said, “I definitely feel better about kinda where we’re at. At this point this year than where we were last year. Last year this time we were kinda scrounging to try to figure out how are we gonna find speed in our cars to compete efficiently enough to make it through these rounds. To whereas this year we have way better speed than what we did last year.”

Blaney’s surging confidence is probably because of the dominance of the da-k horse in the past few months. Out of the last three races, two have been won by the Ford Mustang Da-k Horse. First Harrison Burton found the chequered flag at Daytona. Then Chase Briscoe at Darlington, where it became nearly impossible for Kyle Busch to catch him. He agrees with having the speed now. He voiced, “Especially the last three months. Some finishes might not show it but our group is really executing really well. I think our speed is where it needs to be. Now it’s the matter. Can we continue that momentum and can we run clean races here?”

The Da-k horses, however, struggled to keep up the pace when Chevrolets and Toyotas dominated the early stages of the season. However, a surprising turnaround has occurred in recent weeks, as Ford has significantly improved its performance and competitiveness. The manufacturer and its race teams needed some time to fully grasp the nuances of the new body style and gather real-world data to develop effective solutions and improvements.

Following the upgrades, Ford is not far behind Chevrolet and Toyota, as six Ford drivers have qualified this season. Making the probability of Ford bagging a third consecutive title high. However, NASCAR Insiders have mixed views on this.

NASCAR Insiders on Ford’s chances

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Ford has experienced a remarkable turnaround in recent months, emerging from a period of relative inactivity to become a formidable competitor in the sport. This resurgence coincides with the implementation of upgrades to the Mustang Da-k Horse. Ford is leading if you see the manufacturer points in the last three races, starting from Michigan to Darlington. Ford dominated with 112 points, whereas Toyota got 108, and lastly, Chevy bagged 105 points. However, some insiders still doubt Ford’s chances.

In a recent episode of the podcast “Rubbin is Racing,” NASCAR experts Michael McCarthy and Dan Diorio discussed the upcoming playoffs and the chances of Ford winning the 2024 Cup Series title. When asked about the potential for a Ford driver to succeed in the playoffs, Diorio expressed his preference for drivers from the other two manufacturers.

He said, “In terms of who my top picks are – one’s a Chevy driver and one’s a Toyota driver. Now I would love to see Blaney repeat or  Briscoe steal one. That would be unreal. But I just don’t really see that happening.” On the other hand, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was seen backing Blaney and the Ford as he picked his championship 4. In one of his recent podcast episodes of Dale Jr. Download, he said, “My championship four is Logano, Larson, (Denny) Hamlin, Blaney and Blaney wins back to back.”

According to Jr.’s prediction, there are two Ford drivers in the mix, raising the probability to 50%. Although this is too early to conclude anything. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had his 2023 predictions spot on. So you never know what might happen.

• Can it be a 3rd consecutive Penske title? Only time will tell.
• And, let us know what you think are the chances of a Ford winning the championship.