NASCAR fans are fired after iRacing streamer Joey Stone made a bold claim on social media, calling Ryan Blaney “possibly the BEST plate racing driver” and saying the “stats back it up.”

This sparked a massive online debate with hundreds of fans jumping in to share their picks for who’s really the king of superspeedway racing.

Ryan Blaney’s Impressive Superspeedway Resume

The numbers certainly support Blaney’s case for superspeedway supremacy. The 31-year-old Team Penske driver has racked up five career superspeedway victories, including three wins at Talladega Superspeedway and two at Daytona International Speedway.

Ryan Blaney is possibly the BEST plate racing driver and his stats back it up.

If not Blaney who is it? Byron? Logano? Hamlin?

Let me know 👇🏻

— Joey Stone I Sloppy Joe (@JoeyStone_8) August 24, 2025

His most recent triumph came spectacularly at the 2025 Daytona regular-season finale, where he edged Daniel Suárez by just 0.031 seconds.

What makes Blaney’s record even more impressive is the clutch nature of many victories. His breakthrough Talladega win in October 2023 was a career-defining moment, holding off Kevin Harvick in a photo finish with a margin of victory of just 0.012 seconds. That victory didn’t just add to his win total; it propelled him to the Championship 4 and eventually to his 2023 Cup Series title.

Beyond the wins, Blaney has shown remarkable consistency at superspeedways. He’s recorded multiple runner-up finishes, including second-place efforts in the 2017 and 2020 Daytona 500s.

Read More: NASCAR History Made: Ryan Blaney Wins Daytona in Record-Breaking Photo Finish

His ability to adapt across different car generations, from winning under the previous package to succeeding with NASCAR’s Next Gen car, demonstrates the kind of versatility that separates good superspeedway drivers from great ones.

What the Fans Are Saying

The fan reactions reveal just how competitive the superspeedway landscape really is. One X used offered a comprehensive ranking that placed Byron fifth behind Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace, and Austin Cindric, while noting that “Byron has gotten fairly lucky and Hamlin has fallen off since the next gen.”

Byron has gotten fairly lucky and Hamlin has fallen off since the next gen

1 Blaney
2 Logano
3 Bubba
4 Cindric
5 Byron

HM: Elliott, Jones, RSJ

3-4 are interchangeable

— Sand448 (@Sand4482) August 24, 2025

Another fan provided perhaps the most insightful analysis, explaining: “I feel like Joey is still the better plate racer, but Blaney is the better finisher if that makes sense. Like, Joey always finds his way to the front and always leads in these races, but he’s a legit 50/50 on whether or not he’s going to snag a top 5 or get wrecked trying.”

I feel like Joey is still the better plate racer, but Blaney is the better finisher if that makes sense.

Like, Joey always finds his way to the front and always leads in these races, but he’s a legit 50/50 on whether or not he’s going to snag a top 5 or get wrecked trying.

— Joey Knish (@KSB2215) August 24, 2025

Other fans kept it simple but effective. One fan had a straightforward declaration, “It’s Blaney,” reflects a growing consensus. But one fan in particular brought up an unsung hero of superspeedways and drafting tracks.

It’s Blaney

— Caleb Westall (@cjwestall_9) August 24, 2025

The fan wrote, “I’d say in terms of raw ability, Austin Cindric is up there but he seems to have bad luck more often than not… Blaney is probably the best overall plate racer in the NASCAR Cup Series right now.”

I’d say in terms of raw ability, Austin Cindric is up there but he seems to have bad luck more often than not…

Blaney is probably the best overall plate racer in the NASCAR Cup Series right now.

— Born To Lose (AKA That Damn Weasel) (@WeaselThat) August 24, 2025

The debate shows no signs of slowing down, and given superspeedway racing’s inherent unpredictability, any given race could completely shift the narrative.