WATCH: Ryan Blaney’s fiance Gianna Tulio embraces the Penske driver in a warm hug after his heroics in Martinsville
Ryan Blaney and his fiancée, Gianna Tulio had an emotional moment after the driver won the Martinsville Speedway race. The couple embraced before sharing a kiss as Blaney earned his way back to the Championship 4.
Blaney is a 30-year-old NASCAR Cup Series driver piloting the No. 12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske. He got engaged to Tulio last December after dating for about three years. The couple plans to get married before the year ends.
In an 11-second video posted by NASCAR on X (formerly Twitter), Gianna Tulio went up to Ryan Blaney to congratulate him for the win. The couple was captured sharing a hug and a kiss in the pit lane.
“By his side every step of the way."
Blaney won the Xfinity 500 from Martinsville Speedway after starting in P14. The driver notably raced against Brad Keselowski in Stage 2 where he radioed his frustrations as he couldn’t pass the No. 6 car. On lap 486 of 500, Blaney took the lead from Chase Elliott and held it to the checkered flag for the win.
The Ohio-born driver was trailed by Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson who were also fighting for a spot in the final four. However, Elliott and Larson were eliminated from playoff contention, along with Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin.
Austin Cindric and Denny Hamlin were among the top five finishers at Martinsville Speedway. Blaney will race to defend his championship title at Phoenix Raceway against Tyler Reddick, William Byron, and Team Penske teammate Joey Logano. Both Logano and Reddick won a race in the Round of 8, while Byron advanced on points after Bell was penalized for riding the wall.
The Martinsville race win marked Blaney’s third victory in the season and first in the postseason. He has also amassed 11 top-5 and 17 top-10 finishes, along with one pole position at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Gianna Tulio reacts to fans' Halloween costumes inspired by Ryan Blaney's 2023 Martinsville win
Before the Martinsville race, Gianna Tulio reacted to two fans dressed up as Ryan Blaney and her for Halloween. The Halloween costumes were inspired by the appearance of the couple at the pre-race ceremony at Martinsville Speedway in 2023.
One of them put on Blaney's Discount Tire race suit, while the other sported No. 12 shirt merch. They recreated the couple's pose, seemingly from the national anthem moment, considering they had taken off their hats.
In a now-expired Instagram story, Gianna Tulio wrote:
“This is amazing😂😂.”
After the race, Ryan Blaney won and earned a spot in the final four. Aric Almirola finished second followed by Denny Hamlin in third.
Like this year, the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver was also eliminated from the playoffs at Martinsville as he was eight points short of advancing to the final round.
If history repeats itself, the 30-year-old driver could win his second NASCAR Cup Series championship, leading to a tie with Joey Logano in the number of championships won at Team Penske. The driver will defend his title at Phoenix Raceway, scheduled for November 10.