“I forgot to call her dad” - Ryan Blaney opens up about his anxious proposal to Gianna Tulio

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney shared his humorous story about his proposal to Gianna Tulio. He said that he was so nervous that he almost forgot to ask Tulio’s father for permission to propose.

In an interview, Blaney recalled that anxious moment when he had proposed to Gianna Tulio for marriage last year. He said that he was so focused on the proposal itself that he had almost skipped the traditional call to her fiancee’s father. The couple got engaged last year and is expected to get married in December.

During a conversation with Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Teardown at NASCAR Playoff Media Day, Blaney shared his experience of almost forgetting to ask Tulio's dad for her hand.

“I didn't ask her dad until we were about to get on the plane. I have a great relationship with her dad; he's awesome. I love him, but I was like, Oh man, I forgot to call her dad; I'm like, Hey Mr. Julio, you know, I'm about to get on this plane, and I just had a question I was wanting to ask you before I asked Gianna, here in a handful of days,” Blaney said.

“I was going to ask J to marry me; I just wanted to make sure it was okay with you. ‘He was like, you know, Ryan, let me think about it for a couple days.’ I was like, "Alright, ‘he was like, I’m messing with you, of course; he’s a jokester, but yeah, I almost forgot to do that, like you have to ask her parents,” Blaney added.

Ryan Blaney dated Gianna Tulio for three years before they got engaged on December 12, 2023.

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Ryan Blaney is preparing for NASCAR playoffs

The 30-year-old, who drives the #12 Ford for Team Penske, is preparing to defend his title as the 10-race postseason kicks off with an Atlanta fall race this weekend.

Ryan Blaney has had a solid season, with wins at the Iowa Speedway and the Pocono Raceway. He also has seven top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes in 26 races. He's in the top-five in the standings heading into the playoffs and is optimistic to repeat as champion again.

Speaking about his mindset for the playoffs, Blaney said (via NASCAR.com):

“That’s what I’ve told my guys: I want to scare every other team. Like, I want you guys to be so good that everyone is nervous about us when we unload. That’s the kind of mindset that we’ve tried to have, because I think that’s a great mindset for everyone on the team to have.

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Catch Ryan Blaney in action at Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday (September 8).