Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson decided to take a break from voluntary workouts to head to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26. Jackson was there to watch the Coca-Cola 600 and, based on his outfit, to support the Coca-Cola of 2023. Cola 600 champion Ryan Blaney.
Jackson showed up to the event wearing a long-sleeve jersey with the number 12 and the name Ryan Blaney along with Team Penske.
The Ravens QB took the time to meet with some of the pit crews and was popular with NASCAR drivers and fans. However, Jackson’s fandom was on display for Ryan Blaney and the feeling was mutual for the NASCAR driver.
Blaney told Heavy: “I loved meeting Lamar, he’s one of my favorite players in the league. “I’m always cheering for New Era 8 and it was amazing that he was there cheering for me too.”
Jackson was taking selfies with fans before the event but got the photo he wanted with Blaney. The QB MVP, and the jersey he was wearing, also caught the attention of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Count, posting, “No. The 8 is all in on the 12”.
Unfortunately, weather prevented the race from being completed and it was suspended after 249 of the scheduled 400 laps.
Coca-Cola 600 started Ryan Blaney’s race to victory
The Coca-Cola 600 will always hold a special place in Blaney’s heart as it was the track that catapulted his career to winning the 2023 Cup Championship.
Blaney did not win in 2022 and, heading into the 2023 season, things started difficult again for the driver.
That all ended in Charlotte when Blaney was able to regain his winning form after a dominant race. NASCAR’s Reid Spencer covered the victory writing: “Breaking a 59-race drought in Monday’s rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney gave team owner Roger Penske his first sweep in the same year of IndyCar’s biggest race and NASCAR’s longest. “
Interestingly, the 2023 race also suffered rain issues, but the race was fully completed. “Blaney led a career-high 163 of 400 laps and held off polesitter William Byron for his first victory at the 1.5-mile Charlotte oval and the eighth of his career,” Spencer explained. .
However, Blaney returned to winning ways and continued towards the end of the year. NASCAR’s Dustin Albino covered the driver who secured his first championship writing: “Blaney claimed his first career Cup championship Sunday at Phoenix Raceway in his first Championship 4 appearance.”
Blaney had come close in previous seasons, but was never able to make the final group. “In four previous trips to the round of 16, Blaney came up empty-handed. This year, the No. 12 team stepped up at the right time, posting a pair of playoff wins at Talladega and Martinsville en route to the championship,” Albino explained.
The 2023 champion is currently 12th in the 2024 race for the Cup Series Championship. He has four top-5 finishes this season, but is still looking for his first win of the season.
Lamar Jackson seeks to capture his championship
Like Blaney, Jackson has come close, but so far has not been able to overcome the mountain to claim his championship, the Super Bowl.
Although the QB already has two MVPs under his belt, he is looking to get the award he really wants. The Ravens came up short in 2023, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game.
Heading into the 2024 season, the Ravens are once again poised to be a top contender not only in the AFC but also in the NFL. They added RB Derrick Henry to an already dangerous offense and Jackson is more motivated than ever to reach the promised land.
Ravens fans hope it mirrors Blaney’s big 2023 championship and leads the Ravens to their own championship in the form of the 2024-25 Super Bowl.
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