The Cup garage can be a cold place, brutally competitive, unforgiving, and saturated with the pressure to perform every single weekend. Yet, every so often, a small circle of drivers manages to carve out space for something rare: genuine friendship. That’s the case for Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace, two racers whose bond stretches back to their Bandolero days at local short tracks, when they were just nine years old.
Meeting in the most grassroots of grassroots racing, Blaney and Wallace came up through the chaos and grind of the NASCAR development ladder in different ways, diverging, reconnecting, and ultimately forging parallel careers in the Cup Series. Recently, as both drivers reached personal and professional milestones, Blaney winning the Coca-Cola 600 and Wallace taking home a milestone win at the Brickyard 400, the trajectory of that bond took center stage. And while that friendship remains strong, Blaney had a candid, slightly cheeky update.
Ryan’s candid take on friendship with Bubba Wallace
When asked how his friendship with Bubba Wallace had evolved over the years, Ryan Blaney didn’t hesitate to lead with a laugh. “Yeah. I like him less than last every year,” he joked, drawing immediate laughter from the reporter. What followed was no punchline, though, it was a heartfelt reflection on two decades of shared experience, both as competitors and friends.
“We started racing Bandoleros together when we were nine,” Blaney recalled during the interview. “Our career paths kind of separated a little bit… but then our paths crossed back again a little bit in K&N, and then Trucks, and all the way up to Cup.” The shared foundation in grassroots racing and a gradual reconnection through NASCAR’s developmental ranks have given both drivers unique insight into each other’s journey, each knowing what the other had to sacrifice and endure.
Blaney emphasized the surreal nature of their parallel success: “I don’t think either of us when we were nine or ten years old would ever think we’d be where we are twenty years later.” That acknowledgment of improbability highlights the rarity not just of making it at NASCAR’s highest level, but of doing so alongside someone who’s been there since day one.
Ryan Blaney made a wisecrack when asked about how his friendship with Bubba Wallace has evolved: “I like him less and less every year.”
Blaney then gave a nice answer about how he and Bubba’s relationship has grown as they now hit personal and professional milestones. pic.twitter.com/dCWjke3kVt
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) August 3, 2025
In a recent interview, Bubba Wallace also opened up about the evolution of his friendship with Ryan Blaney. “In such a masculine and competitive sport… like you said, you know friendships kinda get lost, but that’s the cool thing about motor sports and us in general,” he said. But he made it clear that with Blaney, that connection has only deepened over time. “I look at there’s still what six or seven of us that grew up racing together, since we were kids, and you kinda feel that bond um from the get go uh because of those moments”.
Living just ten minutes apart has certainly kept their bond strong. “He’s there for me and I’m there for him,” Wallace said. “Through the good, through the bad, you always try to be that shoulder to lean on.” That support, Wallace admitted, has been vital in a sport where bad weekends can weigh heavy.
Yet their friendship hasn’t just endured; it’s matured. As Blaney celebrated his Coca-Cola 600 win and Bubba Wallace his breakout at the Brickyard 400, the two wasted no time reconnecting in person. “Went over to Bubba’s house Sunday night after Indy to celebrate that. Couldn’t miss that one,” Blaney said, making clear that even amid the weekly grind of Cup racing, personal moments still matter.
It’s not just wins; they’re now walking through life stages together, too. “Next stages of your life, right?” Blaney noted. “His kid’s nine months, mine’s on the way.” The hope, in Blaney’s words, is that the next generation might share a bond like theirs. Still, that first line, “I like him less than last year,” is telling in its humor. It reflects the kind of sibling-like comfort forged by years of racing door-to-door, sharing hotel rooms, and riding through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows together.
Ryan Blaney leans on Bubba Wallace for fatherhood guidance
As Ryan Blaney readies himself for the arrival of his first child, his journey into fatherhood runs parallel with that of close friend Bubba Wallace, whose own son is now nine months old. The two have spent years as rivals and allies on the track, but now find themselves navigating an entirely new challenge, and Blaney is quick to admit that Wallace’s recent experience is an invaluable resource.
In a brief media appearance following the New Hampshire race weekend in mid-July, Blaney shared that their child is due in December, a point in the NASCAR calendar where demands ease up significantly after the Cup Series finale. “We’re (due) in the winter, so that takes a lot of stress off. I can’t say we necessarily drew it up that way. Just kind of got fortunate on the timing of it,” Blaney said.
Blaney has described how living minutes apart adds another layer to their long bond. The post-race celebrations and late-night dinners have given way, at times, to genuine parenting conversations. Blaney even jokes that becoming a dad has turned Bubba Wallace into “a mushy teddy bear,” a change that’s giving Blaney a glimpse into the emotional weight and warmth of parenthood. Wallace has embraced the role of mentor, answering Blaney’s questions about balancing the demands of racing with the needs of a newborn, and offering honest insights about fatherhood’s learning curve.
“I ask him (Bubba) all the time (for advice). I see it firsthand, being over at his place and flying together… Watching Becks grow up, it’s been kind of neat. I ask him all the time for advice, what are some goods and what are the struggles of a newborn and things like that. So it’s been nice to have him (Wallace) right there and kind of go through the same thing,” Blaney added.
Their decades-long friendship now takes on fresh meaning as both face sleepless nights, new routines, and shifting priorities. While the racetrack remains a place of fierce competition, life away from the spotlight has given these two friends a new way to support one another, turning to each other for advice that reaches well beyond racing strategy and pit stops. In this new season, Blaney isn’t just relying on his instincts; he’s leaning on Wallace every step of the way, turning shared history into a lifeline for the adventures of fatherhood ahead.
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