Ryan Blaney has often drawn attention for his appearance, sharing that spotlight with Chase Elliott as one of the Cup Series drivers most frequently noticed for more than just pure performance on the track. Elliott briefly flirted with a mustache before abandoning it, while Blaney has continued to treat his look as a revolving door.
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At times, he presents a clean-shaven face that makes him appear almost boyish. At other times, he leans into a fuller beard and mustache, sharpening his expression and giving him an edge. Right now, Blaney has taken a turn straight out of NASCAR’s past that evokes the image of Dale Earnhardt Sr.
He has kept a mustache just as Dale Sr. used to, and the reaction to his look has mostly been positive. Many fans, particularly from a younger generation, might not embrace the look. Older fans, however, recognize the symbolism immediately.
Blaney anticipated the response before it arrived. Discussing how fans reacted, he explained, “I figured it was gonna get a big reaction because it’s out there, it’s full. I think most people like it, I think. So that’s good.” He acknowledged the size and shape of his ‘stache as well, adding, “I think people are just amazed by it, like, that’s a massive cocooned animal on your lip. But yeah, I like it.”
That experimentation is nothing new for him. Blaney admitted that wintertime and the NASCAR offseason often become his testing backdrop for facial hair. “So, I play with the beard stuff when I have it in the winter, and I usually go down to like mutton chops and like a handlebar and like a goatee and stuff, and I got it to this mustache.” His wife approved, telling him she liked the look, which sealed the deal.
Ryan Blaney seems to be enjoying most of the discussion about his mustache. I think. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/0bSWpW8wap
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 22, 2026
While approval at home mattered, official feedback from the top remained absent. Team owner Roger Penske has not offered any opinion on Blaney’s mustache, though the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion believes that his silence could eventually break. Until then, Blaney continues to carry the look.
With the 2026 season due to start on February 1 with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray, it remains to be seen if Blaney can keep his mustache deep into this season, or whether higher-ups from his team, possibly Roger Penske himself, instruct him to go back to a more modern look that relates more to the modern-day NASCAR fan.
