Back in the day, following their Watkins Glen clash in 2019, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Blaney weren’t exactly on each other’s Christmas card lists. But time has a way of smoothing out the rough edges. Nowadays, they’ve come a long way from those frosty days. In a surprising twist, Ryan Blaney revealed that Jimmie Johnson often makes it to the top three people congratulating him after a victory.

This camaraderie was on full display when Blaney clinched the championship. Despite being on different teams, it seems the drivers have struck up a pretty friendly rapport. As for post-race congratulations at the track, Blaney shared an interesting tidbit. While Ross Chastain didn’t go out of his way to congratulate him, they did bump into each other near the media center. That chance encounter turned into a moment to bury the hatchet over their on-track tensions.

Is Ryan Blaney now friends with his 2019 foe?

Remember the heated showdown between Ryan Blaney and Jimmie Johnson back in 2019? It was quite the scene post-race on pit road, with Johnson visibly upset, even pointing a finger in Blaney’s face. Johnson felt that Blaney had bulldozed through his car during the race’s final laps. Blaney, on his part, chalked it up to the heat of the moment and a bit of rough-and-tumble racing from both sides.

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But it’s amazing what a beer and a heart-to-heart can do. After clearing the air over a cold one post-Michigan race that same year, it seems these two have turned a new leaf. Fast forward to now, and when asked about who all from the track congratulated him after a win, Blaney pointed out that Jimmie Johnson was one of the first ones to wish him. He shared, “Like one of the first ones I got when I scroll through my phone, Jimmy Johnson is the first guy to text me ever. Like all the time when I win, like he’s like top three all the time so like he’s like tuned in and it was cool to see his be like number three. So he was quick on the trigger. Yeah, I respect it, I like that.”

On being asked if the entire Cup Series field congratulate him, he further added, “There was, I would say, most though. I would say most of them did, whether it was victory lane, like, I’d say half. Whether it’s victory lane or texting me afterwards. So that was kind of nice. That was nice of them.”

And speaking of patching things up, Blaney also spilled the beans on his encounter with Ross Chastain. They bumped into each other near the media center, shared a laugh, and basically hashed out their on-track drama. It’s like they turned a potentially prickly situation into a chuckle-worthy anecdote.

In the midst of all this camaraderie talk, Blaney also delved into the buzz about him being inducted into the Hall of Fame after his stellar 2023 Championship win. Looks like the tides have truly turned for Blaney, from fiery confrontations to potential Hall of Fame whispers.

Blaney weighs in on his Hall of Fame odds

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When a NASCAR reporter floated the idea that Ryan Blaney’s championship win might pave his way to the Hall of Fame, he took it with a pinch of salt. In his typical easy-going style, Blaney imagined the mixed reactions.

“There’s gonna be so many fans that are like you don’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, just because you won the championship. I can just see it now, which is fine with me. I wouldn’t personally mind either way if I was in or not. I really wouldn’t care. I mean it would be nice to be in but like it’s not gonna ruin my life,” he admitted.

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Perhaps Blaney’s calm and composed response stems from the fact that there’s no set formula for Hall of Fame nominations, especially when it comes to the number of championship victories needed. What really revs up a driver’s chances is their overall impact and contributions to NASCAR. In an effort to maintain the exclusivity and prestige of the Hall of Fame, the authorities even put the brakes on the number of yearly inductees, reducing it from five to a mere three since 2020. It will be interesting to see if this hurts the Penske man’s chances down the line.