NASCAR Comes to Iowa and Defending Champion Ryan Blaney Wins
Ryan Blaney deserves to win in the Midwest.
It means a lot to fans that NASCAR finally brought their top series back to Iowa. The Midwest is a key moment in American racing. Finally, 76 years after NASCAR's beginning and many years run at the lower levels, the NASCAR Cup series has its first winner at Iowa Speedway with Ryan Blaney on Sunday Night.
Blaney, while he was never truly able to compete in sprint car racing, comes over to stock cars from the midwest sprint-car racing like. His father, Dave, before his NASCAR career, was a prominent sprint car racer from the Midwest, and his brother Dale even more. He did not wish this fate on his son Ryan.
So the young Blaney became a great stock car racer, winning his first NASCAR championship in 2023.
"What a cool way to win here; this place means a lot to me," Blaney told NBC Sports. "It means a lot to my mom, I... I have a lot of people here tonight, I really appreicate it."
Last year, Blaney became the first driver to win a championship without wining the final race, and that might've stuck with him.
Blaney has had less than luck throughout the 2024 NASCAR Cup Season, crashing in most of his almost-wins.