Despite celebrating for 6 hours, Ryan Blaney reveals feeling “bummed” after the celebrations ended

In a recent interaction with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, reigning Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney revealed feeling "bummed out" following the championship celebrations.

Blaney, piloting the No. 12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, won the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship after finishing second in the final race of the season at Phoenix Raceway.

Following the victory, the Team Penske driver was seen celebrating with his crew, team members, and family. Blaney revealed that they celebrated for a long time. However, despite the joyous celebrations, Blaney was left with a lingering feeling of wanting more. He said:

"I think last night was like big.. I don't want to say it's a blur, it happens very fast. The biggest thing I was trying last night to tell everyone was to slow down. You know, enjoy it and appreciate it, take in the moment, because it does happen very quickly."

He continued:

"Even though I was there for 6 hours after the race, when we got in the car to drive to the hotel, I'm like 'kind of bummed it's over. Kind of bummed that we left the race track.'"

"Because it was a special moment. You want to enjoy the areas that you have success at," said Ryan Blaney.

Blaney's sentiments extend beyond the race track. The 29-year-old also acknowledged the collective effort of the Team Penske camp that led to his milestone success. Blaney said:

"So yeah I think, seeing everybody, appreciate them. I think one of my favorite parts is gonna be going back to the shop and seeing all the employees at Penske, and tell them 'great job' because they are just as much part of it as I am, and the road crew are."

He concluded:

"There's a lot of special moments and I think there's going to be a lot more to come too."

Ryan Blaney on sharing track with Kevin Harvick for the final time

Notably, the Cup Series championship race wasn't the only talking point of the race at the Phoenix Raceway last Sunday.

One of the racing legends of this generation, Kevin Harvick, also competed in the final race of his career. The 47-year-old, piloting the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, drove for the final time as a full-time racer in NASCAR. He ended the race with a respectable seventh-place finish.

Ryan Blaney, who won his first Cup Series title in the same race, talked about his feelings as he shared the track with Kevin Harvick for the final time. He said:

"It's definitely special. With Kevin's last race being my first championship, that's kinda neat."

Expressing his admiration for Harvick, Blaney stated:

"I was such a big fan of his growing up. It was awesome racing with him. It's not gonna be the same with him (without him). He's still gonna be at the track but he's not gonna be behind the wheel."

While Kevin Harvick's legendary career came to an end, Ryan Blaney's has a long way to go. It remains to be seen what comes next for the Team Penske driver.