Ryan Blaney's fiancé Gianna publicly expresses love for her man following his Martinsville victory
Ryan Blaney's soon-to-be wife Gianna Tulio publicly expressed love for her man after the Team Penske driver secured his second consecutive Championship 4 entry. Gianna ran toward Blaney, tightly hugged him for several seconds, and kissed him before the infield journalist arrived to ask about the #12 Ford driver's race.
Blaney entered the XFINITY 500 at Martinsville Speedway in a must-win situation after marginally losing out during the preceding Homestead-Miami race. The Team Penske driver raked in the 2023 Round of 8 elimination win at the 0.526-mile oval and mastered another triumph today to open the gate for his second Cup Series title.
The defending Cup Series champion didn't start his 35th Cup Series race weekend on a promising note, kicking off his 500-lap run from 14th. However, as the fierce battle for contention progressed, Blaney surged to a P5 finish in the first stage and continued his upward performance slope with a runner-up finish in Stage 2.
Shortly after he did victory burnouts and exited his #12 Ford Mustang, Ryan Blaney's fiance dashed toward him, jumped, and bear-hugged the race-winner. The emotional moment was recorded by a NASCAR fan, who shared the video on their Instagram.
Gianna reposted the loving moment and shared it with her IG fanbase.
Ryan Blaney will join his teammate Joey Logano for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series title.
"I’m worn out": Ryan Blaney reflects on his hard-fought Martinsville win
After braving the unfavorable odds, the Team Penske driver surged to the top in the final stage. On Lap 414 restart, Blaney was three seconds behind the playoff contenders Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, jeopardizing his entry for the Phoenix race.
Nonetheless, 20 laps later, the Team Penske driver passed Denny Hamlin for fifth, overtook William Byron on Lap 454 for third, and bumped Kyle Larson on Lap 477 to take the second spot. Moving forward, with 14 laps until the checkered flag dropped, Blaney overtook Elliott's #9 Chevy and remained indomitable in his final dash to glory.
Following the exhilarating win, Blaney expressed his exhaustion and hailed his team's efforts that contributed to his second consecutive Championship 4 race.
"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 via NASCAR (0:49).
If Ryan Blaney etches the 2024 Cup Series title, he will become the first driver to clinch consecutive titles since the elimination-style format was introduced in 2014.