Chase Elliott goes to Victory Lane to congratulate Ryan Blaney on Iowa win
As Ryan Blaney broke a winless drought where it seemed like nothing could go right for the No. 12, Chase Elliott was right there to congratulate him.
The duo’s friendship has been no secret throughout their respective careers, and there’s been a ton of success between Blaney and Elliott in the NASCAR Cup Series, as both are champions of the sport.
Elliott actually broke his own winless streak earlier this season in Texas, and Blaney returned to victory lane on Sunday evening in Iowa. Afterwards, the No. 9 wheelman was right there beside Blaney, heading to the winner’s circle to give the Team Penske driver some props for the accomplishment.
Check out the photo of the two drivers HERE, which NASCAR.com shared as part of their at-track photos for Sunday’s race at Iowa Speedway.
In addition to heading to victory lane, the USA Network broadcast also caught Elliott pull up next to Blaney’s car after the final lap, offering him some congratulations for the win. On the track, these two are as competitive as anyone on the circuit, but it’s evident their respect and friendship comes out after the checkered flag is waved.
At the moment, there’s a lot to celebrate for both men, as Ryan Blaney has locked himself into the playoffs, while Chase Elliott leads the overall Cup Series point standings.
It’s been an awesome season for each driver, and they very well could be racing each other for the title when the Cup Series returns to Phoenix in November. Time will tell, but it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.
More on Ryan Blaney, inaugural Cup Series victory at Iowa Speedway
In other news, Ryan Blaney got the job done at Iowa Speedway for the first time ever on Sunday evening. The defending NASCAR champion captured his first win of the 2024 season in the process.
Ryan Blaney was calm, cool, and collected all day. It wasn’t an easy race for him to win. The tires were a real issue. Drivers had to be careful to not overdrive on their rubber or they would have blowouts, and Blaney handled the pressure well.
The first-ever Cup Series winner at Iowa Speedway. A big win for Blaney and this 12 team after the Gateway letdown that could’ve sunk a less mentally-strong team’s season.
Why did the Cup Series not come to Iowa Speedway sooner? Seriously. This race track put on a fun race with only a partial repave. The tires were soft, but there was no catastrophic failure. It wasn’t even close to a Bristol level of wear from earlier this year.
Alas, Ryan Blaney led 201 laps on his way to victory. Blaney now has a win at Iowa in the Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series. He is the only driver to reach that accomplishment since this is the inaugural Cup race at Iowa.
On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this article.