Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on August 25, 2023 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner//Keynote USA/Getty Images)
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Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney will be in Chicago for Sunday’s Grant Park 165.
After knocking on the door of NASCAR glory for the past several years, the Ohio-born driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Dark Horse Ford Mustang held off young teammates Kyle Larson, William Byron and Christopher Bell to win the season finale and the NASCAR Cup Series Drivers’ Championship last November.
The popular 30-year-old is also known as one of the nicest guys in NASCAR, so much so that even the sometimes irascible Kyle Busch once praised him. So, between Blaney’s accomplishments and overall reputation, it’s no surprise that he’s nominated for the 2024 ESPY Award for Best Driver in Motorsports. Blaney faces competition from NHRA’s Matt Hagan, IndyCar’s Alex Palou and Formula 1’s dynamism Max Verstappen.
But aside from his weekly race to the finish line in Chicago and the constant battle between drivers inside and outside of NASCAR, Blaney has long been engaged in another activity.
In 2018, he became one of the founders of the Ryan Blaney Family Foundation, an organization that raises money through sports-related events to benefit Alzheimer’s research.
“As a family, brain health, particularly Alzheimer’s disease and concussions, are causes that are close to home for us,” the organization said. “Our family has experienced firsthand the emotional, physical and financial challenges that accompany these brain health issues.”
Baney said that once he was a couple of years into his career as a NASCAR driver, he wanted to use some of the momentum to help do good. He said the Ryan Blaney Family Foundation came out of an ongoing conversation with his family.
“We wanted to do something that we had a personal connection to. My grandfather died of Alzheimer’s, he passed away at a fairly young age.” Blaney said his grandfather, Lou Blaney, “started showing symptoms of the disease when he was in his early 60s.”
“Living with this disease is very hard, so we decided to focus our efforts on that. It is also a frustrating disease because no one knows much about it.”
Blaney said his grandfather tragically died of Alzheimer’s at age 69. On top of that, Ryan’s father, Dave, suffered a severe concussion in a car accident that has significantly disrupted his daily life.
From left to right: Ryan Blaney’s sister Erin Blaney, father Dave Blaney, mother Lisa Blaney, Ryan … (+) and his girlfriend Gianna Tulio, and sister Emma (Blaney) Conley.
Corey Photography + Nowhere Fast
In the six years since its inception, Blaney and her foundation have partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association to support efforts to promote early detection through a series of advertising campaigns. Together, the organizations have created programs for individuals and families dealing with the complexities of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis or traumatic brain injury.
“The Alzheimer’s Association is great, they’re fantastic people,” Blaney said during our recent Zoom interview. “But now, we’ve wanted to branch out and address other health issues and brain injuries.”
In addition to that, the Ryan Blaney Family Foundation has played a crucial role by providing direct funding for researchers to train at the world-renowned UPMC Concussion Clinic. This initiative promotes medical research and study, with the hopeful outcome of finding a cure in the future. The foundation also provides bicycle helmets to underprivileged youth, to promote basic safety and prevent head and brain injuries.
“Working with UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center), we’ve found that there are a lot of drivers who have suffered injuries. Concussions are a very big topic right now,” Blaney said. “Throughout the sports world, concussions are a part of sports. And the topic is just now gaining traction. That’s good, but it’s been a long time coming.”
In addition to the great need for more research, Blaney adds that one of the greatest burdens of Alzheimer’s falls on families and other caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients.
To address that problem, Ryan and the foundation are planning to expand their reach to an often overlooked community affected by brain health issues: caregivers.
The Ryan Blaney Family Foundation is providing grants to two organizations focused on this effort.
First, there is their partnership with LoveYourBrain, a nonprofit that offers free programs for people with brain injuries and their caregivers to personally grow and heal through mindfulness, yoga, and peer support. Through this partnership, LoveYourBrain also offers transformative retreat experiences for caregivers of people affected by brain injuries and concussions.
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Blaney’s partnership with Hilarity for Charity (HFC) aims to provide Alzheimer’s caregivers with time to rest, recharge and focus on their personal and professional lives through several in-home respite care grants for families facing financial hardship.
Hilarity for Charity, founded by internationally known actor and comedian Seth Rogan, does more than just offer live comedy shows and events. It is a charity that encourages everyone to get involved by organizing and promoting their own events, making a difference in the lives of Alzheimer’s caregivers.
Hilarity For Charity’s mission statement states: “Fundraisers don’t have to be boring $500 a ticket soiree where you rent a tuxedo and miss the Lakers game… Whether it’s running a marathon, donating a wedding or bar mitzvah gift, or hosting a comedy night, HFC puts the ‘fun’ in fundraising.”
Blaney describes the broader effort to fight and ultimately defeat Alzheimer’s as encouraging and surrounded by community. “It’s great to meet and work with people who have the same goals as you and want to help, whether it’s financially or (by) raising awareness.”
VIDEO: Ryan Blaney wins his first NASCAR Cup Series
Back to racing, Blaney and Team Penske head to Chicago for the Grant Park 165, eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series. In 2024, Blaney has won one race and earned five top-five finishes.
Yet despite his big win last season, Blaney emphasizes that winning the NASCAR Cup Series (and defending that title) is all about teamwork. He stresses that Penske’s pit crew, management and ownership are just as crucial to victory as a great driver, fostering a sense of unity and shared success.
“It’s good to achieve what you set out to do, but you do it with your group, with the people you fight with every week, for 38 weeks a year. Sharing it with them was the best.”
Read Frye’s recent interviews with Lando Norris and Michael Penix Jr.
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