Ryan Blaney had been so close to a win this season that he could physically taste the victory lane champagne. On Sunday night, when he finally reached victory lane, the champagne probably had a tinge of corn flavor. But that’s fine, as he took the win in the inaugural Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway.
Blaney won Stage 1, led a race-high 201 laps, and held off William Byron on the final run of the race to secure his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the 2024 season.
After the race, Blaney’s race-winning No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse took a trip to the post-race inspection bay, where it was given a passing grade after being subjected to the rigors of post-race tech.
As a result, NASCAR declared Blaney and his team the official winners of the race.
With the win, the defending series champion has officially locked up his Playoff berth, where he will look to defend his 2023 championship. The win is the 11th of Blaney’s 323-race NASCAR Cup Series career.
No issues were detected in post-race inspection, which means all results and standings from Sunday’s race are now considered official.
NASCAR will take six cars, the No. 9, 47, 20, 23, 6, and 22 back to the NASCAR R&D Center for wind tunnel testing.
William Byron came home in the runner-up spot ahead of Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Official Race Results
Race Results: NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway
Updated Driver Standings
Race Recap
Ryan Blaney Dominates Inaugural Cup Series Race at Iowa Speedway
Video Highlights
Video: Suarez Makes Contact with Larson; Larson Crashes Into Hamlin