Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney have a close friendship outside of racing. The reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion had an eventful day at Martinsville on Sunday. The car provided by Team Penske did not initially hit the track, and Elliott struggled to stay within the top-15 during the race. However, towards the end of the race, they were able to recover and secure a fifth-place finish with the help of a two-tier pit-stop.
During the final re-start, Elliott had a collision with his friend and the 2020 Cup champion while battling for positions in the top-5. He restarted at fourth place in overtime alongside the driver of the No. 9 Chevy. Ryan Blaney made contact with the HMS driver after slowing down between the first two turns. This incident caused Elliott to lose another position as the race continued, with taking fourth place from him.
Blaney credited the two-tire pit-stop for helping them regain track position and improve their performance for a top-5 finish. He also apologized to Elliott for the collision, and the two drivers quickly resolved any tension between them.
This incident is reminiscent of what happened between Bubba Wallace and Elliott the previous week at Richmond. The driver of the 23XI Racing team publicly apologized to Elliott for spinning him out during his post-race interview. Blaney and Elliott, who are close friends with Wallace, followed a similar path by addressing the incident and moving forward.
After speaking with Elliott, Blaney returned to finish his interview and acknowledged that he apologized for the collision. He explained that the incident occurred because the Chevy driver slowed down early, and they were fortunate to be able to continue racing.
The impressive fifth-place finish will provide both drivers, who have yet to win a race this season, with the momentum they need to continue fighting for a spot in the playoffs. A victory is particularly important for Elliott, as he has gone nearly 50 races without a win.