Ryan Blaney: Racing on Memorial Day weekend 'puts things in perspective'

The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is a special race for many reasons. It's one of NASCAR's crown jewel races, as well as the longest race on the schedule. With many of NASCAR's teams being based out of the Charlotte metropolitan area, it's as close to a home game as you can get in NASCAR. 

But perhaps the most special aspect of the Coke 600 has nothing to do with racing. That's because the race is held the Sunday before Memorial Day, and NASCAR and its teams make sure to put America's most somber holiday at the forefront of the weekend. 

Ryan Blaney, who won the Coca-Cola 600 and the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2023, says that NASCAR is "second to none" when it comes to honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States military. 

Blaney's father, Dave, competed in the Coca-Cola 600 throughout Ryan's childhood. Attending those races was Blaney's first glimpse of a weekend that's about much more than racing. 

"It's a special weekend," Blaney told Yardbarker. "I got see it when I was younger and Dad was racing. It's not just a race going on. You have to understand what Memorial Day weekend is about." 

Since 2021, the winner of the previous year's Coca-Cola 600 has been afforded the opportunity to travel to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, where over 420,000 service members have been laid to rest. That trip includes a chance to participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

"Honestly, before I won (the Coke 600), I didn't know they took the winner to Arlington," Blaney said. "I got to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (and) do the wreath laying ceremony. Just being a part of all that was really, really special.

"I'll tell you, it puts it into perspective for you. It puts into perspective how small you actually are in the grand scheme of things of what actually matters. A lot of people have laid down their life to let us to what we do on a week-to-week basis." 

Every driver in the Coca-Cola 600 will have a fallen service member riding with them, as the names of said service members will adorn the windshield of every car on the track. 

"I think NASCAR does the best job out of any sport, whether it's honoring our current military members, or remembering those who lost their lives," Blaney said.

On a weekend that features three of the most prestigious auto races in the world — Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix, IndyCar's Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 — it's important to take a step back and remember those who gave their lives so we can be free to enjoy, among other things, racing.