Ryan Blaney rips Chase Briscoe for mirror driving while defending lead at NASCAR Iowa

Chase Briscoe had his hands full defending the lead during Stage 2 of Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway. Ryan Blaney was right there, but unable to make the pass at any point of their lengthy battle for first place.

Blaney was frustrated with Briscoe. He took issue with Briscoe for mirror driving him.

“What he’s doing is f*cking looking backwards,” Blaney said on his radio, per NASCAR insider Matt Weaver.

Blaney isn’t the first driver upset at another for mirror driving and he won’t be the last. In the Next Gen car, it’s a huge advantage for drivers in the lead to air block and use their rear-view mirror as a tool to hold off their opponents. Of course, every driver has their spotter as well, making it even more difficult for drivers to make a pass for the lead.

Ryan Blaney voices displeasure with Chase Briscoe

It’s been an ongoing debate this season: should NASCAR remove the rear-view mirror from the Next Gen car? Kyle Busch has been outspoken on the topic — he believes drivers should pick the rear-view mirror or the spotter.

“I mean, us talking about it isn’t going to change anything, but I would say that, if you run the mirror, you don’t get a spotter,” Busch said last month. “If you want a spotter, then you don’t get a mirror — the camera. So, pick one. … What would I pick? I would pick the spotter over the mirror.”

Clearly, Briscoe’s usage of the rear-view mirror frustrated Blaney. But with the race nearing the end of Stage 2, Blaney has finally found his way to the front. Now, it’s his turn to fend off Brad Keselowski and Team Penske teammate Austin Cindric. Will Blaney use his rear-view mirror?