Ryan Blaney apologizes for calling Dale Earnhardt Jr. a ‘d–k’
By Nick Tylwalk
Was he really surprised that there was a Twitter reaction against him insulting the sport’s most popular driver?
Ryan Blaney is one of the hottest up and coming drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. That’s just not enough to insulate him from the fiery wrath of Junior Nation after hurling a particularly colorful insult in the direction of Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Blaney lost his cool with Earnhardt during the Camping World 500 at Phoenix Raceway last weekend en route to a 23rd-place finish. On his radio, he was heard uttering a string of profanities about his tires, as well as the now immortal phrase, “because the f–kin’ 88 car is a d–k.”
Blaney later took to Twitter to apologize:
Unfortunate day for the 21 team. Headed for Fontana. And yes... I called the 88 a bad word... I'm sorry. Was hot, needed to pull tape.
— Ryan Blaney (@Blaney) March 19, 2017
But he’s also getting a chance to elaborate even more on his frustration, as well as offer a more detailed mea culpa. Blaney is one of the hosts of the Glass Case of Emotion podcast on the NASCAR Podcast Network, which release new episodes each Wednesday.
In advance of this week’s new episode, NASCAR.com released an excerpt, which features Blaney talking more about what was bugging him now that he’s had time to cool off:
"We’re going to nip this in the bud right now and get it over with. Yes, I did call Dale Jr. a d–k. In the heat of the moment, people say things in the race car they don’t mean. Dale is not one. He’s a great friend of mine. But I was frustrated. I couldn’t pass him. I got upset and called him that, and then I got on my Twitter after the race, and I was hated by everybody."
Yeah, that’s … more or less what anyone can expect if they try to throw shade at Junior. Being the most popular star of your sport has its privileges.
As for Junior himself, he seemed to take the whole thing in stride, joking on his Twitter about Blaney owing him beer and also chiding him for his potty mouth:
https://twitter.com/DaleJr/status/843995950922305536
Good stuff there.
It should indeed be cooler in California this weekend for the Auto Club 400, and Blaney and Earnhardt should be back to being buddies. Unless of course, someone’s tires wear out again.