Which driver won the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship?

Ryan Blaney won the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship. Driving the No. 12 Ford for Team Penske, Blaney secured his first Cup Series title in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway on November 5, 2023.

Blaney did not win the championship race itself. Ross Chastain won that 312-lap event, while Blaney finished second. Under NASCAR's playoff format, however, the champion is the highest-finishing driver among the four Championship 4 finalists. Blaney finished ahead of fellow finalists Kyle Larson and William Byron, making him the title winner.

The championship was a major milestone for Blaney, who had entered the Cup Series title race after a strong playoff run. It also gave Team Penske another NASCAR premier-series championship. Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series start occurred in the same race before his retirement.