“Be Aware of What You’re Doing!”: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Advice to Ryan Blaney on His Post-Wedding Plans

Ryan Blaney tied the knot with his longtime sweetheart just a month ago, and it seems the newlyweds are already setting the stage to expand their family. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. who has two daughters, and is quite experienced in fatherhood duties, took it upon himself to impart some paternal wisdom to the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion.

During the recent off-season episode of The Dale Jr. Download, both Amy Earnhardt and Blaney joined the conversation, with Blaney attending via video call. Amidst a generally lighthearted exchange, Amy ventured into more personal territory with her question to Ryan. She inquired:

“I have a question. I’m sure somebody else has asked you this already and I’m going to be the Annoying old lady asking — you’re very young and you just got married but are you guys going to have kids anytime soon?”

Much to the Earnhardts’ astonishment, Blaney responded: “Working on that! Actively working on it.”

Yet, it was Dale Jr.‘s guidance, with a nod to Tony Stewart, that really captured the audience’s interest. He remarked, “Tony Stewart kind of alluded to that same thing when he was on the show and it brought some attention. So just be aware of what you’re doing.”

Blaney, who is presently 31, still has a good 11-12 years ahead of him in NASCAR before he hangs up his helmet. In the meantime, starting a family could provide the additional personal and emotional support he might need.

Nevertheless, considering the difficulty NASCAR drivers face in juggling their personal and professional lives, it will be intriguing to see how he handles both roles simultaneously.

Blaney exchanged vows with his now wife, Gianna Tulio, on December 12, 2024, at Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado after getting engaged in Leavenworth, Washington, in March 2024.

Blaney reflects on how tying the knot fundamentally altered his perspective on relationships

Gianna and Ryan were together for four years before they exchanged vows. Although they were certain about each other and had been living together for some time, marriage seems to have introduced an internal change for Blaney. He shared,

“We already lived together all that stuff and I didn’t think it would feel different like before we got married. I was like I don’t think it’ll feel any different but it does, at least internally for me.”

“It’s like okay I planned on this person, being with this person for the rest of my life. But then when you actually get married you’re like okay this is for sure 1000% like going to be my person for the rest of my life.”

He further elaborated, “I don’t know, it’s just a weird kind of it’s almost like a comforting feeling like ‘Okay everything’s going as I wanted it to go as we wanted it to go.’ And so there is a little bit of a mindset shift. But I really enjoy that side of it.”

Meanwhile, having been engaged for a year, it appears Blaney is still acclimatizing to referring to Gianna as his wife rather than his ‘fiancee.’

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

Read More