NASCAR: Ryan Blaney’s Rookie Season Will Define Career

Every NASCAR season is important for a driver but for Ryan Blaney 2016 will be the most important in his NASCAR career.

Ryan Blaney is looking to start his first full season as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, and considering he’s starting it with the Wood Brothers Racing organization, he’s looking to face a whole lot of pressure in many ways. That’s nothing new when a driver is facing their rookie season, but for Blaney there are a few elements added to his current situation.

On one hand, take a look at Blaney. Only 22, he’s already accomplished more than NASCAR than his father ever has, Sprint Car legend Dave Blaney. With  four wins a piece in both the Camping World Truck Series and the Xfinity Series, Blaney’s star has risen as one of Ford Racing’s hottest, most promising drivers. He’s no stranger to success in NASCAR, and considering he’s getting full backing from Ford and Team Penske as well he could very well be the top dog in the Rookie of the Year fight.

On another hand, he’s driving the No. 21 entry, which is one of NASCAR’s most iconic rides. The Wood Brothers Racing organization is NASCAR’s oldest active team and has won it all on every form of track with drivers like Curtis Turner, Fireball Roberts, Cale Yarborough, and David Pearson. Their history is studded with amazing moments and amazing wins, but in recent memory they haven’t fared as well, with only two wins since 2001.

The No. 21 team has struggled for many years, now, and although Blaney ran a limited season in 2015 it’s safe to say he was only learning and preparing for what was to come. He did have a couple of strong runs, such as a fourth at Talladega in the Spring and a seventh at Kansas in the Fall. But now he’s got a chance to boost both the team’s stock and his own stock, and with the continued input from Team Penske he could very well do so.

Blaney’s the driver to beat in the ROTY battle. He’s got the experience edge over Chase Elliott, who will be taking over Jeff Gordon’s No. 24, due to running 16 events in 2015 to Elliott’s five starts. He’s got the best equipment money can buy thanks to Penske’s and Ford’s backing. He’s got the support from both his team and the fans, considering that his No. 21 is the definition of NASCAR’s history. So there is absolutely no reason he should fail in 2016.

In Xfinity and CWTS, he’s established himself as a versatile driver, having won or run well on half-mile race tracks, road courses, short tracks, and superspeedways. He knows how to get the most out of his equipment, and if given the opportunity he could easily run away with a title in either of those divisions.

That’s why he’s fit for a Sprint Cup ride, and he’s got his father’s maturity level behind the wheel – Blaney is not a hothead. He takes care of his ride and very rarely puts himself in a position to get in trouble, which is more than what could be said for the previous driver of the No. 21, Trevor Bayne.

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Blaney, Wood Brothers Racing, Team Penske, Ford Racing. Those elements put together make a very potent brew for the 2016 season, one that could spell success. Everything is there to make a mark during the season, and considering Blaney is adaptable everywhere he goes, it’s up to him how his 2016 season rolls out. But whatever way his 2016 season goes will ultimately define the kind of Cup career he has.