“The memories of my grandpa will always be with me”: Ryan Blaney opens up about his moving journey with Alzheimer's disease

Ryan Blaney, a third-generation race car driver in his family, drives for Team Penske in the NASCAR Cup Series. He is one of the drivers who is known to be a crowd favorite. As was evident by the 29-year-old's celebrations after taking a trip to Victory Lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Blaney prefers to celebrate with the people, as evidenced by the 29-year-old jumping into the stands after winning the Coca-Cola 600.

A dedicated family man, Blaney has always been close to his father and grandfather, who were the reasons why the Hatford Township, Ohio, native got a knack for racing.

Elaborating on his relationship with his father and grandfather, Ryan Blaney recently opened up about one of his and the country's most common diseases among senior citizens.

In a video uploaded by the Alzheimer's Association on YouTube, Blaney spoke about how his grandfather was also a victim of the most common form of dementia in the world.

He elaborated on his bond with his grandfather in the video and said:

"My grandpa Lou is the reason why my dad and I started racing and I'm really proud to follow on his tracks. But when my grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's it was a very unexpected bump in the road for us. I've learned a lot on this journey with my grandpa Lou and the memories of my grandpa will always be with me."

Alzheimer's disease is responsible for a loss of memory and mental functions as time goes by, with rapid brain cell degeneration.

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Ryan Blaney encourages families with members suffering from Alzheimer's disease to get more involved

NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 - Qualifying

Having been on the receiving end of a family with a member suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Ryan Blaney shared how his and his family's journey with his grandfather went as he was diagnosed with the most common form of dementia.

Elaborating on how to deal with someone in a family getting diagnosed, the #12 Ford Mustang driver said:

"In our family we're used to getting involved and I encourage you to do the same especially when it comes to caring for your loved ones. When I think about Alzheimer's and the impact it had on my family, I recognized that losing a race, isn't such a bad day afterall."

Watch Ryan Blaney return to racing after a week-long break as NASCAR heads to Nashville, Tennessee, for the Ally 400 on June 35, 2023.