“Make sure you bring home the gold”: Ryan Blaney pledges full support to tennis superstar at Paris Olympics 2024

Ryan Blaney recently showed his support for tennis sensation Coco Gauff. He extended his well-wishes and urged his compatriot not to settle for anything less than gold at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Blaney himself is in a strong position within the NASCAR Cup Series. With victories at Iowa Speedway and Pocono Raceway under his belt, the #12 Team Penske driver has clinched his spot in the playoffs. The reigning champion is leveraging last year’s momentum to maintain his lead in the 2024 regular season. Blaney's next race will be at Richmond on August 11, following the NASCAR regular season Olympic break.

Meanwhile, Blaney is keeping a close eye on Coco Gauff’s performance in Paris. He encouraged the tennis star through a video shared by NASCAR. In the video, he said:

"Hey everyone! I am Ryan Blaney, NASCAR driver. I just want to wish Coco Gauff best of luck in the Paris Olympics. Make sure you bring home the gold."

Gauff is seemingly living up to Ryan Blaney's expectations. She showcased a dominant performance in the first round of women's singles at the Paris Olympics, breezing past Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic. The match that lasted only 57 minutes saw Gauff win 6-3, 6-0 on Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros on Sunday (July 28). The American is set to face Argentina's Maria Lourdes Carle on Monday.

Having missed the 2020 Tokyo games due to illness, the reigning US Open champion is making an impact in Paris so far.

---

Is Kevin Harvick tipping Ryan Blaney as the stronger performer over his teammate Joey Logano?

So far this season, Ryan Blaney has been making a solid case to defend his title. With two wins, five top-5s, and four top-10s, he's currently ranked fifth in the driver standings. However, his teammate Joey Logano, the winner of the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2018 and 2022, is sitting further back at 15th place despite winning at Nashville Superspeedway.

On the "Harvick's Happy Hour" podcast, Kevin Harvick talked about the performances of the two drivers, saying:

"The 12 car is in the hunt. We didn’t say that at the beginning of the year. The 12 car is in the hunt. They have got the ship headed in the right direction. They’ve been performing well, in contention. Jonathan (Hassler) calls a great race week after week. He does a great job on the pit box, and they’re firing on all eight cylinders. Logano is not quite like the 12. I don’t think Cindric has anything for those two cars." [at 32:42]

As the regular season winds down with just four races left, another win for Ryan Blaney could significantly strengthen his position and boost his chances of clinching back-to-back championships.