NASCAR drivers may live life in the fast lane, but it isn’t just the competitors who shoulder the sacrifices. Their families often give up far more than the outside world sees, bending their own lives around the rigorous demands of the schedule just to steal a few extra days together.
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Dale Earnhardt Sr. was the prime example of how racing glory can come at the cost of family connection. While he built a legendary career behind the wheel, his children rarely got the time with him they longed for. Ryan Blaney, however, considers himself fortunate to have struck a balance.
Blaney married Gianna Tulio in December 2024, after dating her for about four and a half years, and he openly credits her for embracing a lifestyle that keeps him away from home week after week.
He admitted that, given how all-consuming the sport is, he expected few people could understand the demands it would place on a relationship. Yet Tulio has navigated the ups and downs with patience and grace, supporting him through thick and thin.
Appearing recently on 102.5 The Game with Chase McCabe and Big Joe Dubin, Blaney reflected on how he eased Tulio into the rhythm of his life, telling her, “Here’s how busy I am through the week. The weekends I’m not home a lot. She travels a lot with me to the races, which is nice to still spend time together.”
Blaney noted that Tulio had little connection to NASCAR when they first met, so he not only introduced her to the sport but laid bare the merciless nature of his calendar.
“And she took it all in stride, which was great. She was accepting of… ‘Hey, I understand you’re gone a lot, and I understand the job asks a lot of you.’ So, I got really lucky with her understanding because I don’t think everyone would.”
“It’d be easy for someone to say, ‘Hey, I can’t do this. You’re gone too much.’ So, it’s nice that we travel still a lot together. She comes to most of the races with me,” Blaney added.
For Blaney, that shared commitment off the track has been as crucial as any pit strategy, allowing him to chase wins without losing sight of home.
Blaney’s wife keeps his emotions in check
The couple has spent nearly five years together and understands each other’s emotional peaks and valleys better than anyone. Reflecting on how his wife helps keep his nerves steady before and after a race, Blaney admitted ahead of last year’s Phoenix finale that Tulio’s presence has brought a big shift in his life.
Blaney explained that NASCAR can consume a driver entirely, dictating their emotions week after week, and he hated living under that shadow. He confessed that if he had a rough race, he would carry the frustration for days. Before meeting Tulio, he allowed bad weekends to spill into every corner of his life, affecting things they never should have touched.
Tulio, however, helped him see the bigger picture and separate the racetrack from the rest of his world. Her influence changed his perspective entirely, and Blaney considers himself fortunate to have her as the grounding force that keeps his competitive fire from burning him out.
