Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney is officially in the running for “Best Driver” at the 2024 ESPY Awards. ESPN announced the nominees in 22 categories representing the best of the past year in the sport.
NASCAR fans can help Blaney secure another historic ESPY win by voting online as many times as they like through July 10, the day before the ceremony airs live on ABC on July 11 at 8 p.m. ET. Other nominees in the “Best Driver” category include NHRA’s Matt Hagan, IndyCar’s Alex Palou and Formula 1’s Max Verstappen.
Blaney’s improbable journey to his first Cup Series championship in 2023 saw him and the No. 12 Team Penske team unlock their best potential when it mattered most, with victories (Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway) or second-place finishes (Homestead-Miami Speedway and Phoenix Raceway) in four of the final six races of the season, as well as sixth-place finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the Charlotte Road Race course during the NASCAR playoffs .
Fans got a behind-the-scenes look at Blaney’s race in the first season of the documentary series “NASCAR: Full Speed,” currently available on Netflix. Facing formidable competitors such as Matt Hagan and Alex Palou, Blaney will face his biggest rival for the prize: three-time F1 champion Max Verstappen.
