He may not be a part of Wood Brothers Racing anymore, but that didn’t stop Ryan Blaney from joining the festivities at Daytona International Speedway. It was a landmark victory for NASCAR’s oldest team as they celebrated their 100th victory, as well as their first since Pocono in 2017. Race winner Harrison Burton got his first Cup Series win in 98 starts. Given the magnitude of the occasion, there was no way Blaney was sitting this one out!

Despite enduring his fourth DNF of the season, Blaney was all smiles as he mysteriously acquired a case of beer to celebrate with his former team in Victory Lane at a track where he has been desperately unlucky in the past.

NASCAR insider recalls Ryan Blaney’s reunion

Ryan Blaney’s hopes of winning the regular series championship took a big blow at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 after he was forced to retire early. The Team Penske driver survived the multi-car collision on Lap 60, but luck wasn’t on his side during the final stage of the race. When Michael McDowell made contact with Austin Cindric, the Front Row Motorsports driver spun on track, resulting in a massive wreck.

With just 10 laps to go before the checkered flag, Blaney was forced into another DNF, his fourth in four appearances. However, instead of wallowing in self-pity, Blaney chose to celebrate with his former team, who had won the race in the most extraordinary circumstances.

Recalling Ryan Blaney’s Victory Lane celebrations with Wood Brothers Racing, NASCAR Insider Jordan Bianchi said via Dirty Mo Media on X, “He just sits there and chills and you know, takes it all in, and the car’s gone like this is how it is. He was in there for so long, the cars pushed away to Victory Lane. All the crew guys are in tech, going through that thing and he’s just sitting and standing in the corner now talking to Jeremy Bullins sipping a beer like they’re just BSing and having a good time. It’s like, it was like a moment you could tell that neither of those guys wanted it to end.”

Ryan Blaney wasn’t the only driver who came in to congratulate Harrison Burton and celebrate with the Wood Brothers Racing team. His best friend Bubba Wallace also joined in, despite a sixth-place finish potentially hampering his hopes for a spot in the playoffs. Ross Chastain, another playoff hopeful, was also present to offer his good wishes, despite Burton’s result significantly altering the playoff bubble.

When they say that some relationships stand the test of time, Ryan Blaney’s connection with Wood Brothers Racing certainly seems like a fine example. Interestingly, the last driver to win a race for Wood Brothers Racing was none other than Ryan Blaney. Driving the No. 21 Ford, the Ohio native secured a victory at Pocono Raceway in 2017, which was the team’s 99th victory in their history.

It took them seven years to get back into Victory Lane, a testament to just how competitive the Cup Series can be. The triumph couldn’t have occurred more dramatically, with Harrison Burton overtaking Kyle Busch in the final lap in the penultimate race of the regular season to qualify for the playoffs. As things stand, three other drivers remain above the cutline, with Martin Truex Jr, Ty Gibbs, and Chris Buescher hopeful of making it to the postseason.

Ryan Blaney refused to assign blame for the Daytona wreck

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A lot was riding on the outcome of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 for Ryan Blaney. The driver was hoping to secure his third win of the season at Daytona International Speedway and climb up the driver standings to clinch the regular series championship. Despite qualifying in 14th place, the Team Penske driver went all the way up to 5th by the end of Stage 1, hopeful his run of bad luck on the 2.5-mile track had finally ended. Even though he survived a multi-car collision in Stage 2, the 30-year-old was not so lucky in another incident that occurred with just 10 laps remaining.

It was evident that the Lap 60 incident occurred when Corey LaJoie made contact with Noah Gragson. But, Ryan Blaney refused to pin on anyone. Speaking to Bob Pockrass, the Team Penske driver said, “I don’t really know what caused that wreck in stage two. We were all just saving gas, I don’t how we wrecked, it’s all saving gas. Maybe some guys weren’t. I feel like it’s pretty normal, I was really hoping to make it to the end of this. I haven’t finished the Daytona race in like two years.”

With just one race to go at Darlington, Ryan Blaney’s only hope of finishing at the top of the driver standing is to have luck on his side. Not only will he have to win every stage as well as the race itself, but the result will also depend on his rivals being forced to retire early. While the likelihood of that happening is minimal, the 30-year-old will hope to finish the season strongly. That will allow him to stand in a strong position to defend his title before playoffs begin at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Do you think Ryan Blaney will defend his Cup Series title? Let us know in the comments!