As Ryan Blaney paced under caution in the final stage of Saturday night’s race at Bristol, a youngster’s voice came over his radio.
“Hi Uncle Ryan … win this race.”
It was Blaney’s 4-year-old nephew, Bodhi.
“That was funny,” Blaney said Tuesday, recounting the moment. “I was laughing.”
The moment, though, was a surprise.
Blaney said his two nephews, 6-year-old Louie and Bodhi were at the race last weekend.
Before the race, Blaney visited with them in his motorhome. Bodhi asked about the radio with Blaney’s wife, Gianna, name on it. She had it so she could listen to the team’s radio conversations during the race, Blaney explained.
“He’s like ‘Oh, like a walkie-talkie,’” Blaney said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, kind of like a walkie-talkie.’ I guess he took that and remembered that. Smart kid, man, figured it out, turned it on, pushed the button and gave me a little bit of motivation.”
Thing is, Blaney and his wife thought the button to talk on the radio was disabled.
“We’ve got to get that button worked on to where no one pushes it by accident,” Blaney said.
Hearing his nephew on the radio was an unforgettable moment for Blaney.
“It might be the first time that I’ve been genuinely very shocked of who’s gotten on the radio and has talked,” Blaney said. “It was a funny moment, for sure. I got a great laugh out of it. My mother was mortified. She (was watching the kids in the motorhome during the race) turned around to microwave something for seconds and they somehow got the radio.”
