"I got Blaney repeating": Dale Earnhardt Jr. backs Ryan Blaney to win back-to-back NASCAR Cup championships in 2024

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has picked his favorites for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series campaign, putting forward a bold prophecy of Ryan Blaney retaining his championship.

With anticipation mounting for the upcoming NASCAR season, predictions have been circulating among fans and experts alike. Dale Earnhardt Jr., a two-time Xfinity Series champion and former Cup Series driver, shared his insights ahead of the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.

Speaking on his Dale Jr Download podcast, Earnhardt tipped reigning Cup Series champion, Team Penske's Ryan Blaney, to secure back-to-back championship titles in the upcoming season. He said:

"My 4 is Logano, Larson, Hamlin, and Blaney. And I got Blaney repeating. Now I know the odds of that happening are not good at all…it’s never happened. This is a short sample of what we’re pulling from to say, 'oh this has never happened'. We’re not pulling from 75 years of history here, just a few."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. cited Ryan Blaney's impressive performance towards the end of the previous season. He also shed light on the introduction of a new car for the Team Penske driver as factors bolstering his confidence in Blaney's capabilities. The 49-year-old added:

"I think that, man they ran so good at the end of the year. They got a new car. Is that new car gonna help them at some of these other racetracks, is it gonna help them in some scenarios aerodynamically and so forth that they find themselves in where they were a bit challenged?"

Dale Earnhardt Jr. likens Christopher Bell's demeanor to seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson

Earnhardt also shared insights on other drivers to watch out for in the upcoming season, including Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing.

When discussing Bell's reserved nature, he highlighted the 29-year-old's focused and disciplined approach to racing. Dale Earnhardt Jr. explained:

"The thing about Christopher is his demeanor. I think his personality is fine and he is easy to be around. But.. he is very neutral."

Drawing parallels between Bell's demeanor and that of seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, Earnhardt said:

"Sort of similar to Jimmie Johnson in terms of personality. I know Jimmie Johnson is one kick-ass dude, lots of fun to be around. But when he's working, he's switched on. He wasn't going to be 'Jimmie-Jam', his alter ego."

"Christopher Bell probably has an alter ego, Christopher Badass, I don't know what it is. But he doesn't share that. When he comes to the track, he's buckled down, super focused on his job, and you don't ain't no jokes, ain't no clowning around."

"He just is focused on winning and you gotta admire that. But at the same time, it makes it hard to know him."