Is William Byron’s girlfriend Erin Blaney related to NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney? Exploring the relationship between the two

Winner of NASCAR's latest Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International, William Byron not only has close ties to Hendrick Motorsports as a driver but also with another fellow competitor on a personal level. Byron might be a fierce competitor for fellow racer and Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney, but he shares a bond with the latter's family off the racetrack.

William Byron has been known to be in a relationship with University of Alabama graduate Erin Blaney since 2019. Erin sharing her surname with Ryan Blaney is not a coincidence as she is the #12 Ford Mustang driver's sister.

Holding a bachelor's degree in human environmental sciences, the 26-year-old Erin stays in touch with the NASCAR world through her brother as well as her boyfriend.

She has also been the executive director of the Ryan Blaney Family Foundation since 2019, right around the time she started dating William Byron. Erin Blaney is one of three siblings in her family, along with brother Ryan and sister Emma.

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Ryan Blaney's reaction to William Byron dating his sister Erin Blaney

When Ryan Blaney found out about his sister Erin Blaney dating the #12 Ford Mustang driver's on-track competitor in 2020, the Team Penske driver seemed to approve of the couple.

Playing the role of the mature elder brother, Ryan Blaney elaborated in an interview with thesportsrush.com and said:

"I really wanted to mess with him before the race and really tell him that I slyly figured it out, but I didn’t. I mean, people always ask me, ‘Are you mad that Will is dating your sister?’ I don’t care, she’s 22 and can do whatever she wants. And I like him. So it’s all good."

William Byron also spoke about how his and Ryan Blaney's relationship became awkward due to his relationship with the latter's sister. Elaborating about this on an episode of Denny Hamlin's Actions Detrimental podcast, he said:

"I think Ryan and I are, we knew each other way back before I started dating her. So, it was a little awkward at first you know because I didn’t really ask him if I could date Erin so it felt bad."

With a total of five wins to his name after his most recent victory at a road course race, William Byron is one of the main contenders in this season's playoffs.