Ryan Blaney is perhaps the single biggest Star Wars fan in the Cup Series. The 30-year-old has visited Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge with his best friend Bubba Wallace, and his love for the franchise is well documented. So you can imagine his delight at getting to meet Daisy Ridley, the actress who played ‘Rey’ in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, at the 2024 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre, Los Angeles.

The Team Penske driver has previously expressed his jealousy at Bubba Wallace after 23XI Racing collaborated with Star Wars for cars featuring the franchise’s livery at Phoenix Raceway in 2023. However, now that Blaney has met Daisy Ridley for the second time, it’s fair to say that his envy may have eased up a bit.

The ‘Force’ is strong with Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney is not a casual Star Wars fan by any means. The Team Penske driver has multiple Star Wars tattoos on his body and a set of rare collectibles from the franchise at home. His Star Wars obsession is so strong, that it has even irked his fiancee, Gianna Tulio. His first meeting with Daisy Ridley was back in 2017. He may have thought that would be the last time he would meet the Star Wars actress, but the ‘force’ had other plans.

Comparing his chance encounter with Daisy Ridley to the first one, Ryan Blaney said, “I literally said the same thing: ‘Hey, my apologies for asking, but would you be kind enough to take a picture with me? I’m a big fan. I love the movies you’ve been in, and I’m a huge Star Wars fan and I’d love to get a photo if that’s OK.’ And she was super nice. She’s like, ‘Yeah, we can get one.’

“And that was the end of it. I said, ‘Pleasure to meet you. Sorry for interrupting. Hope you have a good night’ and walked away. So it was really no different. The only thing that was different from seven years ago is I’m engaged now. But it was the same thing, and it was funny that seven years later, it happened again,” he added.

Last year, Ryan Blaney had expressed his jealousy towards his best friend Bubba Wallace, who had the opportunity to drive an X-Wing-themed car along with a firesuit and helmet featuring Star Wars elements. If that wasn’t all, the 23XI Racing driver had the opportunity to meet Mark Hamill, the actor who played the legendary ‘Luke Skywalker’ in the movies.

Blaney has previously expressed that his favorite movie out of the lot is ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ the fifth movie from the six-part series that was overseen by George Lucas before the franchise was sold to Disney for $4 billion. With Blaney enjoying a two-week break before NASCAR begins again, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that he will binge on Star Wars movies before shifting his attention to Richmond Raceway.

Currently ranked 5th in the driver standings, with two wins this season, Ryan Blaney will hope that the force remains on his side as he looks to defend his title in the playoffs. The 30-year-old narrowly missed out on a victory at Brickyard 400, after which he had an angry outburst on the team radio, which he now regrets.

Blaney’s radio outburst at Kyle Larson at Brickyard 400

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The race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was not without controversy. Ryan Blaney, who was in contention for victory at the iconic 2.5-mile oval was in an intense three-way battle with Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski. That was until Kyle Busch’s wreck brought about a caution, forcing Keselowski to pit after he ran out of fuel, and allowing Larson to close the gap to Blaney on the restart. The decision infuriated Blaney, who was heard referring to Larson as, “f***ing golden boy”, a reaction that he wasn’t proud of in hindsight.

In a video uploaded on YouTube, Ryan Blaney said that it was his way of letting off steam after a disappointing outcome at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He said, “I try not to hold grudges. These outbursts are like a blow-off valve for me. I get it out, and then I’m over it in 10 seconds.” He went on to say, “I don’t think it ever hurts my performance. It’s just a way for me to reset and move on quickly.” Despite his regret, Blaney doesn’t feel his angry outbursts affect his performance. The Team Penske driver said, “I wish I didn’t have it, but it’s just part of me. I get it out, reset, and move on.”

With NASCAR currently in the middle of a two-week break because of the Olympics, Ryan Blaney will hope to use this time to refocus on the remaining four races of the regular season. With two wins already, and NASCAR heading to the Federated Auto Parks 400, Blaney has the opportunity to increase his win tally and finish at the top of the regular season standings if luck remains on his side.

Do you think Ryan Blaney will be able to defend his Cup championship? Let us know in the comments!