By clinching the 2023 championship title, Ryan Blaney has undoubtedly made his former boss, Dale Earnhardt Jr, beam with pride. It’s quite obvious that even his late grandfather, Lou Blaney, a stalwart in American racing, would be over the moon as well. Lou, a seasoned hand behind the wheel in the worlds of modifieds and sprint cars, was also at the helm of Sharon Speedway. Each year, the “Lou Blaney Memorial” rolls out the red carpet for the “410” Sprint Cars event at Sharon Speedway. But for the 16th edition of this memorial event in 2024, they’ve pulled off a big surprise.

Earlier, the victor pocketed $10,000. Riding high on the wave of Ryan Blaney’s 2023 triumph, the organizers have decided to up the ante, fattening the purse with a handsome sum of $12,000 for the winner and $1,200 just to get the engines revving for the “410” Sprint Cars on the memorable Saturday of August 17.

Ryan Blaney is gearing up for a star turn at Sharon Motor Speedway in 2024

For the past nine years, the “Lou Blaney Memorial” has been a staple under the All-Stars’ banner. But for the upcoming one, celebrating Ryan Blaney’s crowning glory as the 2023 Cup champion, his grandfather’s legacy is honored in grand style.

Sharon Speedway lit up the Twitterverse with this exciting news: “❗️❗️ BREAKING NEWS ❗️❗️ In celebration of Ryan Blaney’s NASCAR Cup Championship, the 2024 @LouBlaneyMem will pay $12,000 to win, $1,200 to start for the “410” Sprint Cars on Saturday, August 17! Ryan @Blaney will be on hand as a special guest on a night remembering his grandfather!”

❗️❗️ BREAKING NEWS ❗️❗️ In celebration of Ryan Blaney’s NASCAR Cup Championship, the 2024 @LouBlaneyMem will pay $12,000 to win, $1,200 to start for the “410” Sprint Cars on Saturday, August 17!

Ryan @Blaney will be on hand as a special guest on a night remembering his…

— Sharon Speedway (@SharonSpdwy) November 24, 2023

Each year, the “Lou Blaney Memorial” is a heartfelt nod to the achievements of this Lou Blaney, the Hall of Famer, who notched up over 600 feature victories across five decades, including 200 in Sprint car races and another 400 in big block modifieds. At Sharon Speedway alone, he’s celebrated for at least 121 Modified wins and another 11 in a Sprint Car. The racing community bid farewell to Blaney in 2009 after his valiant fight with Alzheimer’s.

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It was a decade-long wait, but 2018 saw the first repeat winner in the Sprint Car category of the “Lou Blaney Memorial,” none other than track owner Dave Blaney. 2019 saw Dave’s brother Dale claim his first win, followed by Dave’s son-in-law, Cale Conley, taking the trophy in 2020. The inaugural event in 2009 was clinched by series owner Tony Stewart, with Mike Lutz being the first local hero in 2010.

However, the honor is no small feat. It looks like Ryan Blaney is all set to step into the limelight, much like his grandfather once dominated the world of Sprint cars.

The 2023 champion is ready to embrace his new role as an inspiration for the younger generation

The dogged determination Ryan Blaney showed in the round of eight is something to write home about. At Phoenix, there was a point when Blaney was losing his cool, and then Roger Penske himself came over the radio to soothe and steer him back on course. It’s almost as if Blaney had his own Obi-Wan Kenobi, guiding him like Luke Skywalker on a pivotal Death Star run.

But, as they say, let bygones be bygones. Inspired by such experiences, while speaking to firstsportz, Blaney shared a slice of his mind about being ready to take up the role of a “role model”: “So now that I’m fortunate enough to have won a championship, you want to be a role model for the younger kids out there, younger racers. So, I think it’s part of your job to be that person and we have a good opportunity to cash in on that.”

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On a more personal note, Blaney revealed that another driving force behind his championship ambition was Brad Keselowski‘s departure from the team. Until 2021, he was the greenhorn of the pack, as Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano led the charge. With Keselowski’s leap to RFK Racing, Blaney stepped up to the plate, joining Logano as the seasoned pros.