Ryan Blaney Shares Drinking Stories With Dale Jr. + Making It In NASCAR

Ryan Blaney opens up about the wild, high-stakes world of NASCAR with unfiltered honesty, revealing that his most intense moments weren't on the track but in the woods—driving a four-wheeler through the dark to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s property after Sunday races, where he'd drink, laugh, and live like a kid. He shares how the pressure of being Dave Blaney’s son shaped his early career, yet he still found his own identity by winning at his home track, Martinsville, a victory that fueled his championship run. Blaney also breaks down the unspoken rules of NASCAR, calling cheap shots and intentional crashes 'fucked up' but inevitable, and admits he’s never regretted a physical move—only his words. He reveals that his biggest career low wasn’t a crash, but a hard hit in Nashville that left him mentally shaken, underscoring the sport’s growing focus on concussion safety. Beyond racing, he’s candid about his love for Talladega Nights—calling it '95% true'—and his secret handshake rituals with teammates, which he says are as essential as pit strategy.