“That’s a crown jewel event for us”: Ryan Blaney optimistic of his chances at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway 

Ryan Blaney, #12 Ford Mustang driver seems to have high hopes ahead of the 400-lap-long event for the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend. Ryan's hopes ahead of the iconic weekend in American racing as well as NASCAR culture seem to match the event's prestige.

It is the longest race of the season as a driver is announced the winner after 600 miles of racing before the checkered flag drops. It certainly demands immense stamina and focus from drivers as well as their teams.

The Hartford Township, Ohio native is currently on a dry spell of 59-races without a trip to victory lane. Hence, a win in North Carolina, NASCAR's heartland on Memorial Day Weekend in one of the sport's most prestigious races would do wonders for his confidence.

Elaborating on what the Coca-Cola 600 meant to him in his childhood, Ryan Blaney said:

"Obviously, the 600, that’s a crown jewel event for us. I grew up watching dad (Dave Blaney) run that race for many years in Charlotte and I’ve been fortunate to be part of it for so many years. It’s such a super grueling race. It’s the longest one we have. That makes for a really interesting race. It’s such a long one that you never really can count yourself out of it."

Ryan Blaney's most recent victory came in last season's All Star Race. He banked a $1 million cash prize at the event under controversial circumstances regarding his car's window net. However, the last points-paying race that Blaney managed to win was all the way back in 2021, at Daytona International Speedway.

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Ryan Blaney puts a win at Charlotte Motor Speedway during Memorial Day weekend as his favorite career victory

Looking favorably at his chances of winning at the 1.5-mile-long quad-oval in Concord, North Carolina, Ryan Blaney elaborated on the significance of a Coca-Cola 600 win. He said:

“I think that would definitely top the other wins that I have. It’s always hard to beat your first one but this being such a special race, I couldn’t put it below anything else I feel like. It would be really cool to do it with BODYARMOR, we’ve won with them as the primary on the car twice and this would be my favorite one if we could pull it off."

Cautiously optimistic about his chances this Sunday, it remains to be seen how Ryan Blaney performs this weekend. The race goes live on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 6:00 pm ET.