Ryan Blaney has donned a tribute helmet in honor of Kyle Busch at Iowa Speedway. He revealed the inspiration behind the heartwarming gesture and hoped to gift it to Busch’s son, Brexton.
Blaney captured the Busch Light Pole for Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350, beating the likes of reigning Cup champion Kyle Larson. In the post-qualifying press conference, the Team Penske driver was asked about his unique helmet for the weekend.
“I think helmets are a unique thing in our sport, we kind of get to design them, a lot of them have special meaning. And this is kind of my best way of showing my respect towards Kyle Busch and respect to the Busch family,” he said via X/Steven Taranto
“The helmet was, I picked out – I think there’s about seven or eight pictures of some wins of his, some big wins,” he added, “Like Bristol sweep weekend, both his championships, his first Busch win, first Cup win, his 100th Xfinity win, his 200th NASCAR win, Brickyard win.
Kyle Busch passed away on May 21 after a bout with severe pneumonia and complications with sepsis. He’s survived by his wife, Samantha, and his two children, Lennix Key and Brexton.
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The tragic loss drew a flurry of tributes across the field. NASCAR held a moment of silence during a special pre-race ceremony at Charlotte, and teams showed their respect with a No.8 decal on their Cup cars.
The Coke 600 winner, Daniel Suarez, performed Busch’s signature bow in victory lane, while Drivers’ meetings now have an empty seat designated for the two-time Cup champion.
Ryan Blaney breaks down his pole lap at Iowa
NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) looks out over pit lane Saturday, July 25, 2026, during qualifying for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Kyle Larson initially took provisional pole on Saturday’s qualifying at Iowa, before Ryan Blaney knocked him out in his second attempt with a 23.474-second (134.191 mph) lap. The feat marks his third pole of the season.
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When asked what went wrong in his first flying lap, Blaney said (via Yahoo Sports),
“I had a lane in mind that I wanted to run, and I missed it on my first lap. I tried to adjust a little bit the second lap, and the car got a little bit better for me my second lap.”
Ryan Blaney’s recent triumph in Atlanta was the first time he converted a pole into a race win. Blaney previously won at Phoenix and grabbed a pair of podium places at Darlington and Bristol.
The No.12 driver’s last pole came at North Wilkesboro Speedway, but he could only manage a single lap in the lead. He ultimately finished outside the top-10 while his teammate Joey Logano captured his maiden of the season.
With 766 points to his name, Blaney currently ranks third on the grid and has clinched a Chase spot.
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