Ryan Blaney, one of NASCAR’s standout drivers, has always balanced the intensity of racing with close friendships. The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion and driver of the No. 12 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Team Penske, Blaney recently reflected on his unique approach to rivalries within the sport.
During an appearance on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, Blaney opened up about the dynamics of competition among drivers. When asked about his biggest rival in NASCAR, his response was refreshingly candid:
“I don’t really know. I feel like, like, I don’t… I’ve been lucky. I haven’t had anyone I really despise. You’ll have kind of run-ins with some guys every now and then, but some guys, they hate each other for years and years. I haven’t really been that way.”
Instead of harboring animosity, Blaney highlighted that his fiercest competition often comes from his closest friends. He cited Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace as examples, both of whom he shares deep bonds with that go back to their childhood.
“I’d say more my rivalry is with my buddies who I grew up racing with. We’re all good friends. You know, Chase Elliott and I, Bubba Wallace and I, we grew up together. We started racing together when we were like nine or ten years old,” Blaney shared.
This camaraderie is rooted in their shared upbringing in racing families. Both Blaney and Elliott are the sons of former NASCAR legends—Dave Blaney and Bill Elliott, respectively—and their fathers’ legacies serve as a backdrop to their current success.
Blaney’s 2024 season demonstrated his consistency and skill, as he finished second in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, just behind his Penske teammate Joey Logano, who claimed the championship. Blaney secured three wins during the season, beginning with a victory at Iowa in June, followed by another at Pocono in July, and a crucial win at Martinsville that earned him a spot in the Championship 4.
Despite his strong performance, Blaney began the season with a challenging 30th-place finish at the Daytona 500. However, his resilience and determination saw him maintain an average finish of 15, marking him as one of the sport’s most dependable competitors.
In addition to competing on the track, Blaney finds himself continually in awe of Chase Elliott’s overwhelming fan support. For the seventh consecutive year, Elliott was crowned NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver, an award determined by fan votes. With 266,363 votes in 2024, Elliott continued to solidify his place in NASCAR history, a feat made even more remarkable by his father, Bill Elliott, holding a record 16 wins for the same award during his career.
Blaney humorously acknowledged the challenge of dethroning Elliott in this category, stating:
“Obviously, he has a great fan base that he has built on his own, and fans who loved watching Bill as well. I don’t know what it would take to beat him. Someday I will have to peek my head back in the door and say, ‘Who won most popular driver?’ I will probably be retired by then, too. So I don’t know what it would take to beat him. It would be tough to knock him off that spot. He has a lot of people who really love him.”
Blaney’s reflections capture the essence of his career: a blend of fierce competition and enduring friendships. While some drivers may focus on rivalries fueled by tension, Blaney’s approach is one of mutual respect and admiration, especially for his “buddies” Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace.
For Blaney, racing is more than just a competition—it’s a shared journey with lifelong friends, proving that rivalries don’t always have to be about animosity.
