Ryan Blaney: 2019 season in review

The early races saw Blaney set the tone for a great year, winning the Busch Pole Award at Phoenix in the spring. A third-place result at the track set off a string of five races where he finished outside the top five only once -- finishing fifth at Auto Club and fourth at Martinsville and Bristol.

Six top 10s in the 10 races leading up to the regular-season finale in Indianapolis had Blaney perfectly positioned to advance to the playoffs on points. Qualifying ninth and running towards the front all afternoon, Blaney finished seventh and secured his third-straight appearance in the title hunt.

His breakthrough came in the Round of 12 at Talladega, edging Ryan Newman by only .007 seconds -- the sixth-closest margin in series history. Blaney’s win marked his third straight season with a trip to Victory Lane and the first of his career at a superspeedway.

The win at Talladega locked Blaney into the Round of 8, joining teammate and 2018 champion Joey Logano who advanced on points. Blaney last made it to the Round of 8 in 2017, driving the No. 21 car for Wood Brothers Racing.

Despite a string of impressive finishes at Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix, Blaney’s championship run fell short after being eliminated in the Round of 8. His 2019 finish was the highest of his career, wrapping up his 2019 campaign seventh in the Cup Series standings.

Blaney’s 11 top fives, 18 top 10s and 13.7 average finish were all career highs. The 25-year-old’s numbers also placed him inside the top 10 among all drivers in each category for 2019.

Ryan Blaney matched a career-best playoff run with another appearance in the Round of 8. Setting personal records in numerous categories, 2019 was perhaps Blaney’s most productive year in the Cup Series. Scroll through the gallery to check out the highlights from his season.