Ryan Blaney received a push from Kyle Busch to overtake and beat William Byron in an eight-lap dash to win the FireKeepers Casino 400 at the Irish Hills on Sunday, August 22.
The Elk Grove, California, native drew himself into a tie with Denny Hamlin for the lead in the regular-season standings after capturing his fifth Cup victory of the season at The Glen.
The Tampa, Florida, native erased his difficult regular-season stretch by guaranteeing himself a 2021 Cup Playoff berth following a late victory in the Magic Mile.
“I think we could help. We’re an asset. We are the biggest asset that NASCAR and these tracks could have if they just tell us their goals. We may not agree with the goal but we can help them get to where they want to go.”
Elliott started 34th after failing to post a qualifying time, but methodically worked his way into the lead, passing Matt DiBenedetto on Lap 38, and then overtaking Kyle Busch with 17 to go.
