Ryan Blaney wins rescheduled NASCAR race at Talladega

AP photo by John Bazemore / Ryan Blaney (12) approaches the finish line on his way to victory as Erik Jones (20) crashes at the end of Monday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. AP photo by John Bazemore / Ryan Blaney (12) approaches the finish line on his way to victory as Erik Jones (20) crashes at the end of Monday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

By JOHN ZENOR / The Associated Press June 23, 2020 5 min read

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Even in victory, Ryan Blaney thought about what happened to close friend Bubba Wallace over the weekend. And what happened afterward.

Blaney held onto the lead after a restart with two laps to go Monday, earning his second straight Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway on a day that began with NASCAR drivers throwing their support behind Wallace.

“I think it’s great that everybody really came together,” Blaney said. “I don’t want it to be remembered as a terrible day or a bad day in NASCAR.

“I want it to be remembered as there was an incident, and we all overcame it together and showed that we’re not going to take it any more.”

It was that kind of bittersweet day and weekend.