November fifth, 2023. Cheers echoed within the grandstands when the checkered flag was waved at Phoenix Raceway within the last race of the Cup Collection season. Although Ross Chastain had secured the triumph, it was the runner-up who celebrated wildly with the No. 12 crew.
Ryan Blaney had gained the championship for the primary time in his profession, extending Crew Penske’s dominance within the Subsequent-Gen period after Joey Logano gained the earlier 12 months.
Whereas Blaney’s triumph was an announcement, it didn’t create a seismic shift within the NASCAR storage. The identical can’t be mentioned for Kyle Larson, who gained a staggering 10 races in 2021 to elevate the trophy after lacking 34 races the earlier 12 months due to a racism scandal.
Even Chase Elliott’s win in 2020 was a landmark win, merely due to his standing as the most well-liked driver on the grid. However one way or the other, Blaney’s achievement fell underneath the radar for mysterious causes.
What’s the post-title sample in NASCAR?
For many drivers, profitable the Cup Collection title is a ticket into the NASCAR Corridor of Fame, altering the general public notion, main to larger sponsorship alternatives, and giving extra distinguished media roles. Nevertheless, for a lot of previous winners, lifting the Invoice France Cup helped of their careers off the observe. And, for the reigning champ, Joey Logano, he earned a $1 million bonus this 12 months because of NASCAR’s new Driver Ambassador Program.
Let’s take Chase Elliott for example.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver has at all times been a well-liked determine on the grid, however his 2020 championship win took him to a complete completely different degree. Going from being Invoice Elliott’s son to a driver along with his personal id, somebody who was acknowledged for his street course prowess, Elliott’s fanbase expanded additional. With this, the media narrative shifted to the Georgia-native being a ‘gifted’ driver moderately than simply one other determine with a well-known surname.
Kyle Larson’s championship win was additionally a game-changer.
‘Yung Cash’ was within the headlines for all of the improper causes the earlier 12 months, after being banned by Chip Ganassi Racing for utilizing a racial slur throughout a digital race. Whereas he admitted to creating a mistake, saying, “There isn’t a excuse for that. I wasn’t raised that means. It’s simply an terrible factor to say,” the injury was already performed.
Nevertheless, it was Rick Hendrick’s gamble on the California-native that paid off when he joined the No. 5 crew, because the racer totally dominated the Cup Collection in 2021 to elevate the Invoice France Cup, altering his public notion ceaselessly. That’s how the championship has formed a few of the former drivers.
Blaney’s model is regular, low-key, and unchanging
One way or the other, Ryan Blaney has been an anomaly with regards to his post-championship win persona. Earlier than 2023, the Ohio-native had constructed a popularity as a constant crew participant, one who stays away from controversy or unfavourable headlines. Surprisingly, that narrative didn’t shift after he lifted the Invoice France Cup, as he remained away from the highlight similar to earlier than and most popular to let his performances do the speaking.
It did assist his confidence, although. As a reigning champ, Ryan Blaney had extra stress going into the 2024 season, however he didn’t let the media scrutiny get in the best way of his on-track outcomes. He secured three top-five ends in the opening 4 races and went on to win three races, together with the penultimate race of the season at Martinsville Speedway. He even held his nerve at Phoenix to complete runner-up, solely to be outperformed by teammate Joey Logano.
That’s what a champion does.
Let’s his performances communicate for themselves, and Blaney got here agonizingly near retaining his title as soon as once more. In the meantime, his manner off the observe was acquainted as effectively, as he didn’t use the highlight to enhance his ‘branding’ or launch his personal podcast to share his ideas. He stayed true to himself, centered on racing, and labored in the direction of constructing Crew Penske’s dominance within the Cup Collection.
