When Bubba Wallace got choked up about his son Becks Hayden during the post-race chat with NASCAR on Prime, fans were quick to rally around him, saying that’s the raw, unfiltered Bubba they have grown to love. Yet, in classic buddy fashion, Ryan Blaney couldn’t resist a bit of good-natured ribbing about his friend’s sentimental side.
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When Blaney joined the media gaggle after the race and was asked how he felt seeing Wallace’s Nashville performance and hearing him open up about fatherhood, he turned it into a playful roast.
“Yeah, he’s a mushy teddy bear now. Yeah, it’s cool. Bubba and I have known each other for two decades, 20 years, raced together, grew up together, live five minutes down the road from each other nowadays, and really good friends,” Blaney said with a smirk.
But as the conversation shifted to a more sincere tone, Blaney admitted it’s a bit surreal to watch someone you’ve grown up with reach these life milestones. To him, it’s weird when any of his friends get to that period of life, and are going through big transitions like getting married or having kids — Blaney himself got married recently.
However, Blaney expressed genuine happiness for Wallace and his wife Amanda, saying it’s been a privilege to be close to them during this chapter of their lives. He even shared that he’d be joining Wallace on the flight back home from Nashville and suspected Becks might be waiting to greet him at the airport.
“I’m sure it [fatherhood] changes you. I can’t speak to that matter. I’m not a dad,” Blaney admitted. “But just to see his change and his outlook on life and his attitude about everything, it’s cool to see, and I see it a lot because I spend a lot of time with him.”
Both friends are currently enjoying solid seasons — Blaney sits seventh with one win under his belt, while Wallace holds down the tenth spot in the standings owing to his consistency.
