"I don't see that happening" - NASCAR expert dismisses Ryan Blaney-led Ford hopes for the 2024 Cup Series title

Ahead of the 2024 NASCAR playoffs, several insiders have chosen their top contenders for the championship title. Some have also dismissed the prospects of other top-performing Cup Series drivers. Among them Ryan Blaney's name has popped up.

In a recent episode of Rubbin is Racing, NASCAR experts Michael McCarthy and Dan DiOrio, commonly known as Large and Spider, previewed the upcoming post-season. The duo also discussed the chances of Ford, as a manufacturer, winning the 2024 Cup Series title.

When asked about the possibility of a Ford driver thriving in the playoffs, Spider responded with drivers of the other two manufacturers as his top picks. Spider said:

"In terms of who my top picks are - one's a Chevy driver and one's a Toyota driver. Now I would love to see [Ryan] Blaney repeat or [Chase] Briscoe steal one. That would be unreal. But I just don't really see that happening."

A total of six Ford drivers have qualified for the playoffs. Out of which, the defending Cup Series champion Blaney is the top-performing driver on the Ford roster.

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"It's a big title defense" - Ryan Blaney on prospect of retaining NASCAR Cup Series title

Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney swiftly qualified for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with two wins in the regular season.

In a recent conversation, Blaney expressed his and the #2 Ford team's optimistic approach and how the aim of defending the title keeps them motivated. He said (via Bob Pockrass):

"I still feel like the defending champion. As we got closer to the playoffs, and playoff talks started to come about, and all these things come out of Blaney trying to defend his title and stuff like that. So, you're still the defending champion for the whole year until someone takes it away from you."

Blaney continued:

"I think everyone in our group loves that feeling of everyone's trying to take it away from you. So hopefully we can make that motivate us and try to, we have a great shot of doing it again, so we just have to perform like I know we can. But yes, I still feel like it's a big title defense."

Blaney enters the playoffs with two wins, seven top-fives, and 11 top-10 finishes. Moreover, the 30-year-old is ranked inside the top five after the playoff re-rack.

Blaney and his fellow NASCAR Cup Series drivers will compete in the first Round of 16 race - the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 8.