“American general” Ryan Blaney earns big praise from IndyCar superstar Josef Newgarden - “The fuller that beard, the more I believe”
Ryan Blaney pulled off a magnificent move nearing the end of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway to see himself through to the Championship 4. His clutch moment did not go unnoticed as the renowned IndyCar star Josef Newgarden praised his achievement, and labeled him as an "American general."
The Team Penske driver entered the Martinsville race with one of the lowest points, but thanks to the victory, he can now compete for the ultimate championship at Phoenix next weekend.
Following the conclusion of the race, Newgarden, who races for Team Penske in the IndyCar Series, took to his official X account to congratulate the #12 driver. Here's what he wrote,
"We should all trust in our great American general, @Blaney. The fuller that beard, the more I believe."
Blaney held off Hendrick Motorsports drivers, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson to claim the victory in the 500th lap at Martinsville. The Penske driver qualified in 14th place on Saturday, but with a brilliant recovery drive, he claimed the victory on Sunday.
Interestingly, Christopher Bell, in the very last lap, rode the wall and crossed the finish line. However, NASCAR ruled the illegal after Ross Chastain tried the same a couple of years ago at Martinsville.
This result qualified Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and William Byron for the final round at Phoenix next weekend.
Team Penske on a roll with Ryan Blaney advancing
Team Penske started their year on a low after they failed to claim a victory in the first three months. Their first victory came through Joey Logano when he won the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro on May 19.
This was the start of something big as Roger Penske's team went on to claim four more victories through Austin Cindric and Blaney in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, one in the round of 16, and two in the round of eight.
Currently, they have two drivers, Joey Logano, and Ryan Blaney, qualified for the Championship 4 this season. While Logano is all set to hunt for his third Cup Series title, Blaney is the defending Cup Series champion.