“Opened the 12, for the 12” - Bubba Wallace pens a witty toast for friend Ryan Blaney’s wedding day

On the eve of Ryan Blaney’s wedding day, his best friend Bubba Wallace shared a heartfelt yet humor-laced post on Instagram to celebrate the important moment in Blaney’s life. Even though the two drivers compete for different teams in the NASCAR Cup Series, their friendship has been a staple of the NASCAR world.

Last December, Ryan Blaney proposed to Gianna Tulio during their vacation in Washington, D.C., and got engaged the same month. Since then, the couple has been preparing for the biggest day of their lives, and they are finally about to marry in front of friends and family.

On Instagram, Bubba Wallace uploaded a photo of sharing a drink that featured him, Blaney and three others.

“Opened the 12, for the 12, on the 12th, of the 12th, in the 12th. Cheers to the 12!”

Wallace’s caption referred to the fact that the drink is from the year 2012, for Blaney, who drives the #12 car. Maybe the number has been lucky for the 2023 NASCA Cup Series champion, who proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Gianna Tulio, on December 12, 2023.

Blaney will remember 2023 as one of the best years of his life, not only because he claimed his maiden NASCAR Cup Series title but also because he got engaged to Tulio.

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How Bubba Wallace and Ryan Blaney fared in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season

Ryan Blaney, driving the #12 Team Penske Ford Mustang in his seventh season for Team Penske, had an outstanding 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. In his title defense season, he finished second in the championship, one spot short of winning back-to-back championships.

The #12 driver finished the 2024 season with three wins, 12 top-five finishes and 18 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 15.2 in 36 races.

Meanwhile, Blaney’s best friend, Bubba Wallace, had a disappointing season, as he failed to record a Cup win this season. Driving the #23 for 23XI Racing, he finished the season in 18th place in the Cup Series points standings, tallying six top-five and 14 top-10 finishes while having three DNFs with an average finish of 15.2 in 36 races.

Wallace has earned two wins and 45 top-10 finishes in his seven-year-long, full-time NASCAR career.

Catch Wallace and Blaney in action at the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway on February 16.