“I drink a lit bit more”- Penske's ace Ryan Blaney reveals his ideal offseason plans on the cusp of wedding bells

Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney opened up on his 'breath of relaxation' during an ideal NASCAR offseason on Thursday, December 12. The 30-year-old is set to exchange vows with fiancee Gianna Tulio this week.

With the NASCAR offseason in full swing, a few drivers keep up the adrenaline and get into other competitive disciplines. While some take the time off to rest, recoup, and vacation. The Trumbull County, Ohio native Blaney claims to be one of the "turn the competitive nature off" kind of driver.

In a recent media interaction, Blaney revealed his thought process behind an ideal offseason and why he should relax after a hectic NASCAR schedule from February to November. He said (via ESPN):

"I'm lazier in the winter, for sure," Blaney said. "I drink a little bit more. I enjoy the offseason because it's a long year. I like to relax and unwind."

"Your mindset is so different in the competing months during the year of constantly on kill mode, and as a competitor, you're trying to figure out ways to better yourself or outsmart the competition. The fire in you is lit all the time, and in the offseason, I try to turn that off. I have no reason to be competitive in the winter. It's nice to get that breath of relaxation," he added.

Before his last offseason, Ryan Blaney ended his 2023 season with a maiden Cup Series championship title followed by a first step in a new chapter of his life with his then-girlfriend Tulio. The #12 Ford driver after dating Tulio for almost three years proposed on December 12, 2023.

Moreover, after ending the 2024 season in the runner-up spot at the final driver standings, he is set to add a pivotal moment in his personal life by marrying Tulio after exactly almost a year in Aspen, Colorado.

---

Ryan Blaney once compared wedding planning to that of a NASCAR race

In a conversation on the Dirty Mo Media podcast with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in July this year, Ryan Blaney opened up about why he feels like planning a wedding is like preparing for a race.

"It surprised me of just how much goes into it," Ryan Blaney said. "It's almost like, I feel like what a race team goes through of like preparing for an event, preparing for a race. There's so much that goes into it. And the cost side to me, right, it's like, there's a number there. All right, here's what you want to spend. You're going to spend more than that. It's just how it goes."

Starting from a wedding date and wedding tastings, Gianna Tulio, Blaney's soon-to-be wife, has been dropping her plans since spring this year. On the other hand, Blaney was racking up points in the 2024 NASCAR season to defend his Cup Series title, which he lost to his Penske teammate, Joey Logano.