Ryan Blaney & Kyle Petty on How Second-Generation NASCAR Drivers Are Treated Differently in Grassroots Racing

It’s never easy when you’re the child of a NASCAR racer coming into the sport. Several drivers over the years have been second-generation racers in stock car racing. Some have not lived up to the expectations, and some have surpassed their fathers in terms of success. But when it comes to the grassroots level, these legacy drivers get treated a bit more harshly than the rest.

Ryan Blaney and Kyle Petty are two such racers. In a recent video released by NASCAR, Petty revealed that drivers would wreck him at local tracks just because he was Richard Petty’s son. Blaney (son of Dave Blaney) suffered the same when he was younger running Late Models. Although, he has overcome all those obstacles and is the reigning Cup Series champion today.

“With the Late Model period when you’re a teenager and you’re racing against guys who are very veteran Late Model racers,” he said. “The hardest of times probably on the race track is like getting treated as this guy’s kid. I’m gonna kinda show him something here.”

Apart from being a champion and a great NASCAR driver, Blaney has been doing a lot of charity work of late which has helped several people across the country.

Blaney is actively helping patients with Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Lou Blaney (Ryan’s grandfather) was a race car driver like his son and grandson. He passed away in 2009 due to a brain-related ailment. His family has been raising awareness about such diseases. Blaney is doing his part as well founding the Ryan Blaney Family Foundation to help patients of Alzheimer’s and other brain-related illnesses.

“As we’ve gotten going at it, we’ve broadened our foundation on just brain health and concussions, dementia, things like that,” he recently said. “It will shock you how many people that it affects around the world. How do we help these people?”

The reigning Cup Series champion’s organization has raised around $750,000 since its inception for the cause. This money has gone towards helping patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia at an early stage.