“It’s Emotional for Me”- Bubba Wallace Gets Candid as He Reflects on Childhood Friend Ryan Blaney’s Redemption

It has been a season of firsts for Bubba Wallace. A first start in the playoffs, followed by qualification to the Round of 8, has provided an experience Bubba has been looking forward to. However, the Alabama native isn’t the only one gathering new experiences and achievements on the run. Bubba’s childhood buddy Ryan Blaney has stolen the headlines with a championship-winning performance at Phoenix Raceway.

Ryan Blaney had a relatively quiet and inconsistent regular season. Changing gears as soon as the playoffs started helped his cause as he racked up wins in crucial stages of the elimination rounds to move to Phoenix. Before this season, the Team Penske superstar had never made it out of the Round of 8 despite starting on three consecutive occasions. A first entry into the finale and a first championship awaited him as he wrote history on Sunday.

Bubba Wallace reflects on the crash with Brad Keselowski as Ryan Blaney blitzes in Phoenix

Phoenix Raceway has been one of Blaney’s strongest tracks in NASCAR. He was the best-posed driver to win the race, if statistics were anything to go by. While the 29-year-old had to keep Kyle Larson at bay for a long time, he also held his nerves to keep fighting for the lead. Bubba Wallace had a decent outing as well. Finishing 10th with his best friend winning the title is a good outcome, regardless.

In stage 2, Bubba encountered the new dad on the grid, Brad Keselowski. Coming off turn 2, the #23 and #6 came into contact, which was regretted by Bubba later on. Speaking about the bump after the race, the 23XI Racing driver said, “I didn’t want to finish 10th the way I did.”

“Got into Brad there, so it’s hard to be excited about that. Really feel bad about that. I wasn’t trying to slide job or anything. Hit the seam and got loose, but we talked about it already. Great year, 10th in points. Fought hard and learned a lot. So just got to come back stronger next year.”

The 27-year-old was also in the spotlight after the collaboration between 23XI and Star Wars gave birth to a stunning paint scheme for the #23 Camry. Columbia Sportswear used the most-anticipated race of the season to showcase its long-term partnership with Bubba Wallace through the Star Wars theme. Well, at least, the Force was with Ryan Blaney, who went on to win a maiden championship and become a new champion in the history books.

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Blaney and Bubba have been friends since they were 11 and have grown up together to share the same dream of becoming a Cup Series champion. Fast forward to 2023, and Bubba has just seen his best man celebrate a championship win and will aim to realize that himself in the future.

Bubba Wallace gets jealous of Blaney

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Blaney’s win was also marked by a frenzy of fury at race winner Ross Chastain. Blaney was helpless in his attempts to pass the race leader multiple times and decided to bump the #1 Chevrolet with 53 laps to go. The incident could have turned out to be incredibly punishing, as a penalty could have landed him in the back of the pack. The #12 driver also defends the driver’s championship for Team Penske after partner Joey Logano’s win in 2022.

When asked about his emotions after seeing his childhood friend finally claim the championship, Bubba said, “It’s incredible. It’s emotional for me. I mean, we have been racing each other since we were 10. So I know how much it means to him and to have a redemption year from last year. What a job. I’m so proud of him.”

Many experts had doubted Blaney’s chances at Phoenix, despite him having the best numbers to back his claim. Owing to his inconsistency and fluctuating temperament, former drivers needed to be more convinced of Ryan Blaney. However, he proved all of them wrong.

Blaney’s radio was a mixture of anger, frustration, and jubilation. The anguish over Martin Truex Jr. and Ross Chastain slowly turned into cheers of victory as he dramatically defended his lead over Larson. Bubba reflected on the same as he added,

“Typical Ryan. He’s hard to show emotions. I know how much this means to him and his family. Super cool. He’s worked hard to get here, and it’s cool to say he’s a Cup champion. A little jealous.”

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Bubba and Blaney are a friendship that has culminated in a championship. One of the most wholesome bromances in NASCAR, the duo will hope to become a NASCAR champion pairing soon.