Chase Elliott had a tough (virtual) race Sunday. And Ryan Blaney wasn’t much help.
After the coronavirus outbreak postponed a handful of NASCAR races, the organization elected to go digital. Sunday afternoon marked the first eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at a virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway. While Denny Hamlin edged out Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a thrilling finish, Elliott didn’t have nearly the same experience.
He asked Blaney, a NASCAR competitor and friend, to be his crew chief, since it was his first ever virtual iRacing Pro Series event. In hindsight, though, that may not have been a great idea.
“I would rate him fair to middling,” Elliot told Sporting News. “Not the best. He was in and out of the room refilling beers.”
Make no mistake, Blaney did however provide some instruction to Elliott. Between rounds, Blaney issued a comical update where he ironically critiqued Elliott because, “We can’t be messing around like this.”
Crew Chief update… @Blaney pic.twitter.com/nDRCPnk1Xd
— Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) March 22, 2020
Of course, judging by Elliott’s footwear for the event, it seems he took somewhat of a lighthearted approach, too. He opted for slippers and encouraged fans to “stay comfortable” while watching.
Check out the footwork. Y’all stay comfortable out there today ?? pic.twitter.com/6PlfFwZmYn
— Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) March 22, 2020
Ultimately Elliott placed 24th, which he felt was due to a lack of iRacing experience. For example, doing burnouts leaving pit road was beneficial in the virtual race. But, the 24-year-old couldn’t wrap his head around the idea, since it’s the opposite in real racing — and it doesn’t sound like his crew chief was too helpful in that respect, either.
So, it’s no surprise that Elliot doesn’t anticipate asking Blaney for help next time.
“It shouldn’t be (a problem not to have him) given our performance this past weekend,” he said.
The next iRacing Pro Series contest is scheduled for Sunday at the virtual rendition of Texas Motor Speedway.
