Growing up inside a racing household handed Ryan Blaney an education few drivers ever receive. That upbringing also delivered access to contacts and encouragement that sharpened his path toward the NASCAR Cup Series. Yet alongside those advantages came a longing that sits at the heart of stock car folklore, a wish shared by countless drivers: the chance to race wheel-to-wheel with their dad.
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Kyle Busch recently lived that dream by lining up against his son Brexton during dirt-track events, including a Winged Micro division event at Millbridge Speedway in early 2025. For Ryan, that same vision has remained for years, centered on his father.
In a 2017 interview with Frontstretch, Ryan reflected openly on the missed opportunity to truly cross swords with his father. “We haven’t really been able to do that [race against each other]. We’ve done it once or twice, and it was all on dirt tracks a handful of years ago,” he said.
He recalled edging Dave by the slimmest of margins during one of those rare encounters, noting, “I actually beat him for the win by a nose or something like that.” Ryan admitted the idea of lining up in Cup or Xfinity machinery held special appeal.
“I would love to race Cup cars with him or XFINITY cars. That would have been a cool thing to happen, but you never know, maybe it can still happen one day.”
While the Cup Series never placed them side by side on a points-paying grid, Dave Blaney’s presence continued to help Ryan’s career. He attends numerous races each season, balancing his own racing commitments while making time to walk the garage and observe.
Ryan values that access, frequently leaning on his father’s eye for detail. He does not hesitate to ask what his father notices about his car compared with the competition, or how rivals approach specific phases of a run.
The Team Penske driver often acknowledges how fortunate he feels to have that guidance available throughout a race weekend. Few champions enjoy such direct access to a mentor who also understands the emotional ebb and flow of competition. That support mattered even during the narrow window when their Cup paths nearly overlapped.
The Blaney family’s racing heritage
Ryan Blaney’s grandfather, Lou Blaney, laid the makings of the family’s racing heritage, making a respected career in modifieds and sprint cars. That momentum was taken forward by Dave Blaney, Ryan’s father, who stepped into the cockpit and made his own mark, capturing the 1984 USAC Silver Crown championship before earning recognition in the World of Outlaws and eventually the NASCAR Cup Series.
Dave remained active at the Cup level through 2014. Back then, as the elder Blaney approached the closing stretch of his Cup career, Ryan was just beginning his own. Ryan made two starts that season, appearing at Kansas and Talladega, while Dave attempted several races, including a bid to qualify at Kansas that fell short.
Had circumstances aligned differently, father and son might have shared the Kansas track, fulfilling a lifelong ambition in real time. That moment never arrived, but Ryan surely aims to fulfil that desire sometime.
