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How Does Ryan Blaney Prepare for NASCAR Races?
Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Every weekend, on Sunday, the drivers of the NASCAR Cup Series have the chance to create history and mark their names as legends forever. Preparing for a high-speed duel against a group of drivers who are considered to be the best on the planet requires more than physical stretches and a motivational pep talk. Ryan Blaney provided a strong insight into this back in May.

The 2023 Cup Series champion is currently seventh on the points table with his playoff spot secure. Ahead of the race at Nashville Superspeedway, which he won, he appeared on the Chasing Checkers podcast and explained how he prepares for races. The most important part of the ritual is the simulator. The importance of these motion rigs cannot be overstated by any means.

Blaney said, “Each manufacturer has them. So, Ford, Chevy, and Toyota have one. They all scan all these racetracks. They go out there with this big machine and scan them. It scans every little bump and crevice on the racetrack to try to get that as accurately as they can. So, a lot of guys do that to prepare.” In addition to this, a lot of data is studied by watching previous races.

He continued to explain, “We’ll watch films of previous races. Kind of just see how it played out. A lot of meetings with me, my engineers, and crew chiefs on how they did the race work last year. Work on how we were set up, what do we change going back to be better. So, there’s a lot of that prep work. It’s a lot of preparation. A lot more than people realize.”

Blaney on the role of spotters in tracking competitors

Spotters are a very important part of any race team. The eyes in the sky can make or end a driver’s day, as seen on multiple occasions in the past. Blaney was asked on the podcast if they’re responsible for knowing competitors’ strategies and adjusting the plan accordingly.

Blaney clarified, “I’d say that the drivers know that more than the spotters. The spotters will know a little bit about what the other drivers’ tendencies are, but we race the same guys every week. So, as you run around these guys more and more, I know what this guy’s tendencies are.”

Awareness of the characters on the track helps Blaney gain insight into what to expect from each of his competitors and race them better.

This article first appeared on The SportsRush and was syndicated with permission.

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