"It was bittersweet when he told me" - Ryan Blaney on dad Dave Blaney's retirement from racing at a family-owned track

Ryan Blaney, reigning Cup Series champion and third-generation racer, is currently one of the top contenders for the driver's title this season. The Ohio-based driver shared his reaction to his dad, Dave Blaney's retirement from racing in a recent media interaction.

Much like Lou Blaney (Ryan's grandfather), Dave began his racing career with Sprint Cars. After several years of honing skills on dirt tracks, he progressed into the world of stock car racing. Fondly referred to as 'Buckeye Bullet,' Dave competed in over 590 races in all three national series for about 22 years. After his son Ryan Blaney debuted in the Cup Series in 2014, he announced his retirement from NASCAR.

However, Dave continued racing in the Sprint Car Series, winning 95 races and multiple accolades in a career spanning over four decades. The 2014 Sprint Car Hall of Famer announced his retirement from motorsport after winning the 16th annual Lou Blaney Memorial (named in honor of his father) at the family-owned Sharon Speedway on September 23rd, 2024.

Dave got emotional in the post-race interview while making the announcement.

Oh, it's big. This is the race Dale (Dave's elder brother) and I try to win every year. To beat that guy, in my last race, I’m officially done right now,” he said.

During a recent media interaction, Ryan Blaney opened up about his feelings on hearing his father's retirement plan for the first time, ahead of the race at Sharon.

"I couldn't be there last week, but when he told me, he's like if I win this one, I'm done. You know, that's the only race he cares of winning nowadays. It's his dad's race, he's the only one who's repeatedly winning it and that was his third win of it, so that was special for him. And to go out on top like that. But yeah it was bittersweet when he told me," (0:07 onwards).

Here's a look at the video of the interaction shared by senior NASCAR journalist Dustin Long on X, captioned:

"Ryan Blaney’s father Dave retired from racing after winning last weekend’s Lou Blaney Memorial. Ryan talks about his reaction to that."

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"It’s a cool thing" - World of Outlaws champion Dave Blaney's reaction to his son Ryan (Blaney) winning the 2023 Cup Series championship

With three wins, eight Top 5s, and 18 Top-10 finishes, Ryan Blaney clinched the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Although it was a close battle for the championship between Blaney and Hendrick Motorsports duo Kyle Larson and William Byron, the #12 Team Penske racer managed to edge out both by one and two points respectively. Dave Blaney, Ryan's father and World of Outlaws champion, reacted happily to his son's first Cup Series title after the race at Phoenix Raceway.

“It’s a cool thing. I don’t even have words for it. Happy for his accomplishment. That’s a huge thing to accomplish. It’s going to be with him forever. And the cool thing is he’s the Cup champion for the year,” he said (via WorldofOutlaws).

As for the 2024 season, Blaney is currently placed fifth in the driver's table, 28 points behind the championship leader Larson. He has won two of the 29 races so far and has finished eight times in the Top 5s, and 13 times in the Top 10s.