Reigning Nascar Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney is feeling the pressure as he currently sits eighth in the regular season standings and 11th on the playoff grid heading into the series’ longest race, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Despite a crown jewel victory at Charlotte last year, Blaney’s Team Penske group is looking to find more speed to improve their performance. The driver acknowledges that they have done a good job of executing races but need to find pace in their racecars to be more competitive in the upcoming races.
Blaney had a strong start to the 2024 campaign with three straight top fives after Daytona, but the No. 12 team struggled to find winning speed like the rest of the Ford camp. While they had a solid stretch earlier in the season, they have had some bad weeks with three finishes of 20th or worse in the last five races. Charlotte Motor Speedway presents an opportunity for Blaney to find his speed as he has had success on the tri-oval in recent years. With BodyArmor once again featured on his racecar, Blaney is hoping to replicate his success in the Coca-Cola 600 where he was able to control the race last year.
BodyArmor has released limited edition collector bottles featuring Blaney and other athletes from various sports, including NFL players and MLB stars. Blaney expressed his excitement about being featured on a collector bottle and how it reminds him of seeing athletes on drinks or cereal boxes growing up. The promotion with BodyArmor has motivated Blaney as he looks to capture his second straight Cup Series championship, a feat that has not been achieved since Jimmie Johnson’s five consecutive titles from 2006-10.
As Blaney works to get back into championship form, he is using lessons learned from last year to guide him. The No. 12 team persevered through struggles in the summer of 2023 and set goals for themselves to be strong when the playoffs started. While he is still searching for his first win of the season, Blaney is optimistic that it could come this weekend in Charlotte, where he secured his only victory of 2023 until the middle of the playoffs. The Coca-Cola 600 will be held on Sunday evening at 6 p.m. ET on Fox, providing Blaney with a prime opportunity to showcase his skills and potentially climb the standings in the Nascar Cup Series.
