Ryan Blaney has made steady progression during his NASCAR career, with that 2023 Cup Series championship the most noteworthy accomplishment so far.
Next up, Blaney joins the NASCAR dads club.
He and wife Gianna have announced they’re expecting their first child later this year. Quite a ride for Gianna, too. She and Ryan went public with their relationship five years ago. Two years ago, shortly after Ryan won the championship, they announced their engagement, and a year later, they were married.
In the midst of all that, Gianna was named Miss Hooters in 2021. That honor capped a four-year run of Gianna working at a South Florida Hooters in Boca Raton.
It’s been a bit of a blur, culminating in this latest news.
And for what it’s worth, Ryan might mark the occasion by putting Carson Hocevar into a tire barrier this weekend in downtown Chicago.
You heard me.
The bubbling NASCAR feud between Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney
A quick timeline on these potential hostilities: Back in February, at the first Atlanta race of 2025, Hocevar was trailing Blaney entering Turn 1 but had a head of steam (either that, or Blaney had slowed a tad).
Hocevar, in his No. 77 Chevy, appeared to consider passing Blaney on the high side but ran out of time and room, and instead slammed Blaney’s right-rear, sending Blaney’s No. 12 Ford into a long slide.
Blaney recovered and finished fourth. Recovered, yes, but he also remembered. Or maybe he was just reminded.
Fast-forward to this past week, again at Atlanta, for the first week of the five-week, in-season “tournament,” complete with brackets, among 32 drivers. Wouldn’t you know it, Blaney’s first-round opponent was Hocevar. Blaney was seeded seventh in the bracket and Hocevar 26th.
Blaney was caught up in an early wreck, Hocevar wasn’t, and Hocevar advanced in the tournament by virtue of finishing well ahead of Blaney at Atlanta. Except that’s not where it ended.
Ryan Blaney says his spark is reignited
Someone in charge of social-media engagement with Hocevar’s team — Spire Motorsports — decided to have a little fun with the tournament advancement.
At Ryan Blaney’s expense. And Blaney noticed. And Blaney suddenly remembered February at Atlanta.
Blaney visited the “Door Bumper Clear” podcast earlier this week, and guess what topic came up. No better way to end this little saga — for now — with Blaney’s own words.
“I’m happy he was able to beat me when I got crashed on Lap 50 — that was cool. Great job by the whole Spire Motorsports team. I saw that, and I wasn’t really in a mood. I was like, ‘Oh, it’s speedway racing, whatever.’ Then, I saw that on the plane and I’m like, ‘Well, now you’ve kind of pissed me off a little bit.’
“So, that social media person is going to have to explain when something happens to the 77 car, that it was their fault. I hope they’re proud of themselves for that. I do still owe him — he wrecked me at first Atlanta this year and I haven’t done anything about it. Now, you’ve just re-sparked me.”
— Email Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Ryan Blaney, newly sparked, to be a dad, but first he must deal with Carson Hocevar
Reporting by Ken Willis, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
