Hendrick Motorsports star Chase Elliott is one of the drivers with a very strong affinity for golf. He revealed to Dale Earnhardt Jr. in an interview earlier this year that he loved playing the sport. As it appears, he has got his close friend Ryan Blaney hooked on it as well. The defending champion was on a podcast for ESPN 101 recently when he spoke about his liking for it.
Advertisement
He said, “I’m a big golfer. I really enjoy playing golf. I started, you know, about four years ago. I didn’t really [play] golf growing up. Wasn’t really in my family and then I just kind of decided I was. I was a COVID golfer. I picked it up during COVID because it was like the only thing you could do and I fell in love with it. I really enjoyed going golfing.”
Blaney revealed how he enjoys the golf tournaments that he holds along with his fellow drivers who play golf. Notably, his friend’s love for the sport began just around the time it did for him. Elliott told Dale Jr. that he was no good when he began and has improved with time. He also reasoned that golf helped him relax from the pressure of stock car racing.
His words went, “I just enjoy being outside on those nice weather days. Like, if the weather is good in the morning and I can adjust my schedule to go do that, I totally would and I would just work late.”
A little golf with @chaseelliott and @BubbaWallace before @NASCAR #DAYTONA500 qualifying pic.twitter.com/RAxmv6ijnv
— Ryan Blaney (@Blaney) February 16, 2022
Interestingly, Blaney had put up pictures of him, Elliott, and Bubba Wallace playing golf before the 2022 Daytona 500. The three drivers are close friends off the track.
Can Ryan Blaney repeat 2023 magic this season and defend his title?
For much of the 2023 season, Blaney wasn’t a favorite to win the championship. Thanks to a late surge in the season he was able to grab his first title. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to carry that momentum into 2024. His #12 Team Penske Ford group has struggled to find pace and currently sits eighth in the points table.
The next Cup race is at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was at this point of time last year that Blaney secured his first victory. Regardless of how his season has gone so far, he will hope to find victory lane once again and get his second Coca-Cola 600 win.
