Phoenix Raceway crowned the champion of NASCAR’s historic 75th Anniversary season as 29-year-old, Ryan Blaney, captured the Bill France Cup by out-dueling Kyle Larson and William Byron in a late-race restart for his first career Cup Series title.
The Ohio native comes from an elite family lineage of dirt car racers and adds the NASCAR championship to a prestigious family trophy case. Meanwhile, the championship adds to the elite resume of car owner, Roger Penske, who now owns 44 titles as an owner across motorsports. Blaney’s championship also accomplishes one of the few things Penske has yet to do in his illustrious career, take home back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series Championships.
“Unbelievable year, unbelievable Playoffs for us,” said Blaney, who won last week at Martinsville to advance to the Championship 4 with Larson, Byron and Christopher Bell. “To win back-to-back Cup titles for (team owner Roger) Penske, that’s so special. Having my family here, winning my first Cup title, I got emotional in the car. I’m not a very emotional guy.
“You never want to count yourself out. I mean, I think in the summer we were struggling a little bit, but we never gave up. We just went to work. I’ve said that all week, like, this group goes to work, and they figure out problems. That’s why they’re such an amazing group to be with, with the Team Penske folks, ’cause they just put their head down and do the work, accept the challenge.”
Blaney won the championship by finishing ahead of the other members of the Championship 4, the finalists from NASCAR’s playoff system. For the first time in NASCAR history though, a non-Championship 4 driver won the season finale as Ross Chastain earned his second victory of the 2023 season.
NASCAR kicks off the 2024 season with their annual exhibition race at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with The Clash on February 4 followed by the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18.
NASCAR Championship Weekend returns to Phoenix Raceway next year and will once again crown NASCAR’s three national series champions from Nov. 8-10. But first, NASCAR hits visits for their annual spring race from March 8-10.
