“Don’t forget what Ryan Blaney did to you”: Shane van Gisbergen’s radio ‘message’ from Chevrolet intensifies Martinsville controversy
Shane van Gisbergen received a message from Chevrolet about Ryan Blaney during their battle at the Martinsville Speedway. The Kaulig Racing driver was reminded on the radio what the Team Penske driver did on Lap 345, which has intensified the ongoing race manipulation controversy.
The XFINITY 500 marked the Championship 4 ticket-deciding race. Six remaining drivers eyed the two playoff spots. Among them were William Byron and Ryan Blaney who advanced for the Phoenix race.
However, the race took a controversial turn following Christopher Bell's wall ride on the final lap and Chevrolet and Toyota's alleged race manipulation. Chevrolet drivers Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon came under scanner for aiding Byron by neither passing him nor letting the rivals overtake their trio. Toyota faced similar scrutiny for Bubba Wallace slowing down on the final lap and his Toyota teammate Bell making a pass.
Amid the chaos, a concerning clip from Shane van Gisbergen's radio chatter has surfaced, with Chevrolet reiterating what Blaney did during the final stage, possibly hinting toward a payback.
"Don’t forget what the 12 (Ryan Blaney) did to you earlier, alright? … That’s a message from Chevrolet,” van Gisbergen's radio message via Andrew on X (1:44).
Blaney fought for the lead against #24 Chevy driver Byron, and in doing so, he bumped into Shane van Gisbergen. It cascaded into the #16 Chevy driver sliding up the track and wrecking Byron's NextGen ride, further slowing it down.
As SVG and Byron are Chevy teammates, the 'message from Chevrolet' raises questions about helping the OEM teammates for the best possible elimination race result.
"Oh my god I'm tired": Ryan Blaney opens after mastering the Martinsville win
Ryan Blaney's hopes of bagging a second consecutive Round of 8 elimination race win were slim following the Lap 414 restart. The Team Penske driver was three seconds off the pace compared to Championship 4 rivals Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson.
Nonetheless, the #12 Ford driver surged to fifth place on Lap 434 and continued his Mustang's climb, overtaking Byron on Lap 454, for third place. On Lap 477, the defending Cup Series champion door-slammed Larson to take second. The HMS driver tried to repay the debt by wrecking Blaney but it didn't help.
That said, the Ohio native took the white flag as the leader and gunned toward the checkered flag for a comfortable victory by 2.593 seconds. It marked Blaney's third win this season and first triumph in the playoff slate.
"I’m worn out I’ve got nothing left. Oh my god I'm tired. Good battle and yeah the car hung on longer than the most and could really make some ground. They just worked on the car all night so I really appreciate them, everbody who makes this thing possible. Team 12 boys are awesome. So, let's go," Blaney said of his race via NASCAR (0:49).
If Ryan Blaney wins the Phoenix race, he will be the first driver in the current playoff format to claim consecutive Cup Series titles.