“Never Thought We Would Be Here”: NASCAR Champ Ryan Blaney on “Pretty Special” Friendship With Chase Elliott

Very few friendships in NASCAR go as long or as deep as the one between Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott. The Team Penske-Hendrick Motorsports duo have known each other ever since they were kids, and now, with Blaney’s biggest career accomplishment in Phoenix on Sunday, they both have become NASCAR Cup Series champions.

In fact, such is the measure of their bond that Elliott, despite having a pretty disappointing season, came on stage to congratulate his pal Blaney, who also did the same for Elliott back in 2020.

“It means a ton,” Blaney said of Elliott’s gesture. “I remember being there and going up to the stage in 2020 when he won his, just being super proud of him, right?”

“Chase and I have known each other and raced each other for a couple of decades. It’s pretty special to share something like that with somebody, a close friend like that. For him to show me all the support this week was really neat as well for me. Him kind of checking in on me, seeing how I was doing. He’s been here a couple of times.”

Blaney claimed he will cherish the picture of him and Elliott with the trophy, adding, “When we were kids starting racing together, we never thought we would be here, have a championship apiece. It’s really cool to share that with somebody.”

A Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott fight?

During an appearance on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast show earlier this year, Ryan Blaney made the revelation that he and Chase Elliott have been considering staging a fight for a while now. “Chase and I … we’ve been talking about staging fights,” Blaney said. “Chase and I have been talking about staging one for years.”

This prompted the show’s host to wonder, “A very public fight?”

“Like, kind of rub each other a little bit on the racetrack, like at the end of the race. Get out and just go to town on each other,” Blaney replied, wondering how the headlines would read of a fight between Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney, the prospect of which sounded “so cool,” to the Cup champion.