Ryan Blaney is known by many names: Mr. Manifestation, YRB (Young Ryan Blaney), or simply the 2023 NASCAR Cup champion.
But perhaps his most recognizable feature is his thick, horseshoe-style mustache, which draws comparisons to the late Dale Earnhardt.
During a meet and greet at an Advanced Auto Parts store in Murfreesboro on May 30, a fan pointed at Blaney's mustache and said, "You look like Dale Earnhardt."
Blaney replied with a humble grin, "Really?"
Blaney explained that his plan last offseason was to grow a "big old beard." After a week of shaping it, he settled on the mustache.
"My wife liked it, so I decided to keep it and here we are," he said.
The 32-year-old driver, currently third in points behind Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin, won at Nashville Superspeedway last year and finished eighth this year after leading 46 laps.
He has 18 career Cup Series wins and 177 top 10s in 392 races.
From 'Cars' Fan to Voice Actor
Blaney grew up watching Disney's "Cars" repeatedly. He was 12 when the film was released in 2006.
By age 23, he voiced the character Ryan "Inside" Laney in "Cars 3" (2017).
"I was a big fan of 'Cars,'" Blaney said.
"When they asked me to be a part of that third movie, in a small, little role, that was kind of a childhood thing.
I definitely jumped on it."
His character, a Next Generation rookie, had only one line: "McQueen's still not here? Didn't he pull this when he was a rookie?
At least that's what my grandfather told me." Blaney noted that many kids ask him to sign the diecast car, calling it "really special."
Video Game Legacy
Blaney grew up in High Point, North Carolina, hooked on NASCAR video games.
He never chose himself as a driver, preferring to play as his father Dave Blaney, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, or Tony Stewart.
In 2025, Blaney appeared on the cover of a NASCAR video game alongside Christopher Bell and William Byron.
"I had all the NASCAR games growing up, and I was always curious to see who was going to be on the cover," he said.
"I remember Jimmie and Jeff and Tony and some of those guys being on covers.
I was like, 'Man, that'd be cool to have my cover on a game.'"
Family Racing Heritage
Blaney's racing roots trace back to his grandfather, Lou Blaney, a member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame.
Lou won 600 races over 47 years, mostly driving a No. 10 car funded by his father, a sawmill and lumber company owner.
To honor his grandfather, Blaney got a tattoo of Lou's Sprint Car on his left ribs—a six-hour procedure that resulted in his favorite tattoo.
"He's the one who really started the racing side of my family," Ryan said.
"I wanted to have something I could see every day and remind me of my family. It just reminds me of where this all started."
