The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, Ryan Blaney, experienced something truly unique last Wednesday. He was a part of the party that flew down to Washington, D.C., to meet President Donald Trump at the White House. Back in Bristol at the onset of the weekend, he told the press what it was like to be invited and honored for his achievements.
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He said, “I was happy that he had us. They reached out. So, yeah, couldn’t turn down that opportunity. That’s an amazing opportunity, and it was definitely a fun day.” More than anything, Blaney was astounded to be present in the Oval Office after watching it on screen for so many years.
He added, “I think just seeing the Oval Office in general, you know, like you see it on TV and stuff, and or on video, and you just walk in the Oval Office, you’re like, ‘This is the deal.’ Like, this is the person who’s running our country, no matter who it is, like this is their workplace, and I thought that just was huge was one of the neatest things.”
Along with Blaney on the trip were Joey Logano, Josef Newgarden, Roger Penske, and other key members of Team Penske. NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps and NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell were present as well. Logano, the defending Cup Series champion, was as pleased as Blaney at the opportunity.
Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and team Penske at the White House today. 🏎️🏁 pic.twitter.com/hYlinkbt2t
— JESSE JAMES (@1bigJawBone) April 9, 2025
Logano about his second visit to the White House
The first time Logano visited the White House was back in 2018. He said in Bristol that he kind of expected how things would go and was still left surprised by the enormity of the moment. He noted that it was surreal to see his car sitting in front of the White House. Like his teammate Ryan Blaney, he was in awe of the Oval Office as well.
He said, “You walk into the Oval Office and you just think, ‘Gosh, all the things that have happened in that room.’ The stories that we don’t know, we’ll never know, but it all happened in that room. It’s a pretty big thing to take a moment to let it soak in, so it’s special that we had the opportunity.”
The POTUS said at the ceremony that having the exceptional drivers at the White House was just a celebration of racing and the career of Roger Penske. He also quipped that it was an honor to have Team Penske at his residence. The entire ordeal is bound to be a core memory for the drivers.
