Ryan Blaney hails from a deep-rooted racing lineage. His great-grandfather, George Blaney, started a racing team in Ohio alongside his lumber business in the mid-20th century, later joined by his grandfather, Lou Blaney, who campaigned in modifieds and sprint cars. The tradition was carried forward when his son, Dave Blaney (Ryan Blaney’s father), took the wheel, winning the 1984 USAC Silver Crown championship before making a career in the World of Outlaws and the NASCAR Cup Series.
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Hence, racing runs through the Blaney bloodline, but despite that history, Ryan admitted after his Daytona triumph in the regular-season finale that his father has little appetite for superspeedway racing. Even after years in the Cup himself, Dave still despises watching pack racing.
Ryan explained that his parents haven’t attended as many races this year as in the past, with his dad tied up with other commitments. Still, he expects them at about a third of the events.
“I can’t believe they come here,” Ryan said. “Because Dad hates speedway racing. He hates watching it. Absolutely despises it. My mom is a nervous wreck the whole time. I’m like: Just stay home. They just pace and pace and pace. But it’s fortunate that we were able to pull one out tonight, so it was good to see him in Victory Lane.”
Pressed on why his parents dread it, Blaney pointed to the obvious: “Big wrecks.” Like any parents, they struggle to watch their son put his life at risk. Dave Blaney, during his own NASCAR tenure, drove for Bill Davis Racing, Roush Racing, and Richard Childress Racing, scoring his best Cup finish at Darlington in 2003 with a third-place run for Jasper Motorsports.
Now, with Ryan having climbed to the top as the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, the Blaney family legacy has reached another milestone, one that sets the bar even higher for generations to come.
However, given Ryan has performed so well on the speedway and has a lot of good experience on the track, he might not be the one to hate when his son takes over the NASCAR seat and carries forward the Blaney name in the sport.
