CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ryan Blaney is trying to become the first driver to repeat as NASCAR Cup Series champion since Jimmie Johnson, who won every year between 2006-2010.
Before heading to Kansas to commence the Round of 12, Blaney chatted with WCNC Charlotte Sports Director Nick Carboni for a wide-ranging conversation.
Nick: Where are you keeping last year's championship trophy?
Blaney: "It was at my house for a little while, and my dad actually has it right now in his shop. He's building a case for it. So he borrowed it to try to fabricate this case for it to sit in."
Nick: Did you ever take a celebratory drink from it?
Blaney: "I never drank out of it. I really, I really wanted to have a night of us filling that thing to the brim and just seeing how long it would take for us to empty it. And we never got the chance. It was such a whirlwind of things going on. We just never got the time to be able to do it."
Nick: Your father, Dave Blaney, retired in Victory Lane after winning your grandfather's namesake race, the Lou Blaney Memorial, in Ohio. What was that like?
Blaney: "I was so happy for him. It was cool to talk to him that night. That was really special I know he's gonna keep that car forever because that's a special car of his. I'm looking forward to having that one in the family for a long time."
Nick: What approach in last year's championship run can you apply to the playoffs this year?
Blaney: "I don't really know if we had like a formula to each round. We just went and tried to be the best version of ourselves, trying to execute every weekend to the best of our ability. I think our speed is close to where it needs to be right now."
The Round of 12 begins at Kansas, then travels to Talladega, then concludes with a cutoff race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL on WCNC Charlotte, Oct. 13.