By: Zach Arnold

After Ryan Blaney secured the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship last Sunday, many on social media have argued whether Blaney deserves the title, “Champion.”

The No. 12 team entered the 2023 playoffs as the 12th-seed, out of 16, the lowest-ranked out of the championship four behind Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Christopher Bell.

Fans can view this in two ways: Blaney had the weakest season out of the championship-eligible or was the “underdog” who built a solid playoff run and finished the job.

Beginning with the view of Blaney having a weaker season than other drivers in the championship four is true. Throughout 2023, he was able to collect three wins, eight top fives, and eighteen top tens. Byron and Larson had more wins (seven and four respectively), while the trio had more top-fives with the least for Byron at 11. When it came to top-10’s, they were all close with the leads for the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet.

So how did the 29-year-old from High Point, North Carolina win the championship? Let’s take a look.

NASCAR has a playoff format that highly rewards drivers for wins. Throughout any round in the playoffs, a driver can lock themselves into the next round with a win, and eliminate stronger teams who do not perform well. 

Blaney did exactly that to make the Championship Four. He won at Martinsville which locked him into a championship opportunity at Phoenix Raceway.

Every team in NASCAR is aware that the championship will come down to Phoenix, and if they want to claim the trophy, they will have to be fast in the desert. After the final caution, it was Larson’s race to lose. The No. 5 team had an amazing pit stop, putting Larson ahead of the other two championship drivers still eligible.

On the final restart, Larson had the lead. However, a hard-charging No. 12 managed to pass Larson, ending his championship hopes. Blaney straight-up beat Larson and Byron.

Which side do you lean on? Do you think Blaney’s 2023 Championship is, “deserved?”