New Hampshire winner Ryan Blaney has opened up on finally getting his hands on one of NASCAR's most iconic 'trophies'.
The 31-year-old won on Sunday to lock himself into the 2025 Cup Series playoff Round of 8 at the first opportunity, his first ever win at the low-banked 1-mile track.
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A number of tracks have iconic trophies for race winners – including Martinsville's famous grandfather clocks and Dover's iconic Miles The Monster – but New Hampshire's live lobster is right up there with the best of them.
Blaney got his hands on the 20lb monster for the first time in his career on Sunday, and admitted after the race that it's been one of his career dreams from before he even got behind the wheel.
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Blaney: Lobster is the coolest trophy
Speaking to the press after his win, Blaney admitted: "I watched a lot of races here growing up, whether I was here or watching on TV. The lobster is the coolest thing in victory lane.
"I’ve been wanting to hold that f*****g lobster for like 30 years. I’ve been wanting to hold that thing up from Victory Lane just because I saw guys doing it when I was growing up, and it was just the coolest thing ever.
"It’s funny like tracks have certain trophies that catches your eye as a kid, and this is one of them. That’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. Sorry for swearing. The lobster is cool, man. It’s so cool."
NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings after New Hampshire
| Pos | Driver (Car No.) | Team | +/- to Cutoff Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Blaney (12) | Team Penske | Advanced |
| 2 | William Byron (24) | Hendrick Motorsports | +47 |
| 3 | Kyle Larson (5) | Hendrick Motorsports | +41 |
| 4 | Christopher Bell (20) | Joe Gibbs Racing | +29 |
| 5 | Denny Hamlin (11) | Joe Gibbs Racing | +27 |
| 6 | Joey Logano (22) | Team Penske | +24 |
| 7 | Chase Elliott (9) | Hendrick Motorsports | +14 |
| 8 | Chase Briscoe (19) | Joe Gibbs Racing | +12 |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ROUND OF 8 CUTOFF LINE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | |||
| 9 | Ross Chastain (1) | Trackhouse Racing | -12 |
| 10 | Austin Cindric (2) | Team Penske | -19 |
| 11 | Tyler Reddick (45) | 23XI Racing | -23 |
| 12 | Bubba Wallace (23) | 23XI Racing | -27 |
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