Ryan Blaney looks to make Championship 4 debut in 2023, elaborates on the balancing act that is NASCAR: "You have to seize the opportunity"

Finding himself out of contention for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series championship last year in Sin City, Team Penske's Ryan Blaney returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a feeling of redemption. The #12 Ford Mustang driver was seen crashing out of the race in an event that was crucial for him to advance into the elusive Championship 4 round of the Playoffs.

Looking to make it into the Final 40 on merit this season, Blaney has a game plan in mind going into this Sunday's South Point 400. The 29-year-old driver emphasized the importance of balancing one's expectations in NASCAR, where often not looking at the bigger picture means wiping out probable chances in the future.

Blaney elaborated how he tried to take advantage of his #12 Ford last season in Sin City to try and win the race, owing to its performance during the 400-mile-long event. Despite a P5 in the first stage and a win in the second stage, Ryan Blaney did not settle for what is called 'points racing' in the sport.

Gunning hard for what could be a probable win that day, he slid his car a little too far, losing control and hitting the wall. Eventually missing the cut for the Final 4 round, Ryan Blaney's luck made a 360-degree turn in a couple of seconds.

Trying to manage this exact expectation from himself as he challenges for the 2023 Cup Series title this year, Blaney elaborated on how he has changed his approach. He told NBC Sports:

“I thought we had a great shot to win this thing last year, had a great car and I just made a mistake, you have to seize the opportunity, but you have to also understand your limitations. Just getting caught up in the moment is easy in these playoffs and not focusing on the end of these races. You hate to have wins slip away. Wrecking is a lot worse than running second. I think just managing kind of your mindset in those situations is super important.”

Watch Ryan Blaney race in Sin City this Sunday, October 15, 2023, at 2:30 pm ET.

Ryan Blaney emphasizes on the importance of execution on Sunday

In conjunction with having good speed in the #12 Ford Mustang gained by the proper setup for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney also emphasized on the importance of the team's execution in Sin City this Sunday.

Going into the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8, the Team Penske driver elaborated on the same in an interview with Bob Pockrass and said:

"It's not only about having speed, it's about executing a good race too so hopefully we can do that."

Blaney looks forward to making his first-ever Championship 4 appearance this season.