Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!
Ryan Blaney and Girlfriend Gianna Tulio Get Engaged
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion and the model have been dating for more than three years.
Ryan Blaney’s weeks-long joyride following his historic win of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series in Arizona closed with a victory lap that romantics everywhere can appreciate: a winter wonderland marriage proposal.
After dating for just shy of three and a half years, Team Penske’s driver of the No. 12 Ford Mustang popped the question to Gianna Tulio on Tuesday in Leavenworth, Washington. Tulio, a successful international Hooters model, publicly announced her engagement to Blaney on Instagram Saturday with a photo of Blaney on one knee on a snow-capped footbridge, holding an open ring box. She captioned the post with “12-12-23 I said yes to my forever."
RELATED: Here's What Joey Logano Had To Say About Penske Teammate Ryan Blaney's Cup Series Title
Blaney’s well-earned celebratory tour has been a whirlwind of excitement since it began, just moments after his runner-up finish to Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain at Phoenix Raceway on November 5 crowned him the new king of the Cup Series. It’s seen the third-generation wheelman jetting off to New York for some big interviews in the Big Apple, and then soaring off to Nashville, Tennessee where he was honored by his peers during the NASCAR Awards at Music City Center.
RELATED: Bubba Wallace Playfully Roasts Ryan Blaney Over NASCAR Awards Outfit
Still, as wonderful as it must have been to listen to his teammate Joey Logano shower him with positive remarks, or garner what most pundits believe to be the first of many Bill France trophies for the blazing-fast 29-year-old, the championship ring on Blaney's finger looks significantly better now that Tulio has some radiant diamond hardware of her own.
What did Bubba Wallace say about Ryan Blaney's engagement to Gianna Tulio?
One of Blaney’s best friends and fellow drivers wasted no time in reacting to the engagement news. Bubba Wallace reportedly reposted the proposal photo in one of his own Instagram Stories, writing, "Bout Damn Time.”
Since the days of their first epic Waffle House run, long-time friends Blaney and Wallace have always enjoyed any occasion to playfully rib one another, and an engagement, whether overdue or not, is as good of a reason to bark at your boy as any.
RELATED: "It's Part of Your Job to Be That Person": Ryan Blaney Embracing Role Model Status
That said, it always boils down to showing respect for one another like Blaney did when he discussed who his NASCAR rivals are in the Cup Series. In true Blaney fashion, the new reigning champ of NASCAR’s top flight revealed on the Barstool Sports podcast Bussin’ With The Boys that if he had to pick someone as his main rival, he’d ultimately choose either Chase Elliott — another of No. 12’s closest comrades — or Wallace.
While there are less than seven weeks before Blaney officially begins his 2024 campaign to defend his Cup Series title in Los Angeles with the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, for now, training and preparing for the upcoming year of grueling competition can wait. It’s time to savor the successes, both professional and personal.
