After winning Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway, reigning Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney was not the only celebrity who was seen giving out autographs to the fans. According to a recent X post by renowned journalist Kelly Crandall, even Blaney's fiancée Gianna Tulio was seen signing autographs and exchanging beers with the fans in the victory lane.
Ryan Blaney and Gianna Tulio have been together since 2020, and got engaged in 2022. Tulio is a professional model for Hooters on both international and domestic levels. As per her Instagram bio, she was also inducted into the Hooters Hall of Fame.
Needless to say, fans flocked around Tulio when she appeared in the victory lane alongside Ryan Blaney, who won his second race of the season. Referring to the same, Crandall told Blaney in a conversation on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that he might not be the only "popular one" in his relationship.
The Team Penske sensation replied, (as per Crandall):
"She's a lady of the people; she wants to make sure everyone has a good time."
Indeed, Gianna Tulio is a lady of the people. As of today, the 25-year-old Philadelphia native has over 95k followers on Instagram alone. She was crowned Miss Hooters in 2021. Her numerous accomplishments in the world of beauty pageantry also include the "Most Photogenic" award that she won the same year.
Ryan Blaney makes a 2017 repeat at Pocono
As per Yahoo Sports, Ryan Blaney bagged the first win of his career in 2017 at Pocono Raceway. Blaney, who was just 23 back then, used to drive for Wood Brothers Racing at the time.
Fast forward to this year, Blaney snatched the lead on Lap 117 en route to the 12th win of his career, and second at the 2.5-mile racetrack in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
Recalling the same, Blaney told NBC Sports:
"So cool to win here again. I won here seven years ago for my first Cup win, so it's awesome to be back. The crowd, you guys were amazing. Thank you for being here all weekend.
"You love tracks that have special meaning to you, places where you get your first win and things like that...so this place means so much to me," Blaney added.
Blaney shone to prominence with 40 laps to go till the checkered flag. He committed to the pit road just a few laps before Stage 2 came to an end. Furthermore, his #13 Ford Mustang was fast, and that got him a good starting position alongside RFK Racing driver Chris Buescher in Stage 3.
"It was nice to stick to the plan today," explained Blaney. "Our plan was to have track position at the end. I knew our car was fast enough."
With 5 races to go till the playoffs, Ryan Blaney is 7th in the Cup Series standings with 627 points to his name. He also stands 7th in the playoff picture, just ahead of fellow Ford driver, Brad Keselowski.