14 questions with Ryan Blaney, NASCAR’s biggest ‘Star Wars’ fan

We spoke with NASCAR driver/aspiring Jedi Ryan Blaney about all things Star Wars.

Ryan Blaney is, unquestionably, the biggest Star Wars fanatic in the NASCAR garage, and his love for the franchise is well-documented.

The 26-year-old Team Penske driver is a self-described “aspiring Jedi,” he can rapidly recount the movie plots with an impressive amount of detail and, last Halloween, he donned a fabulously detailed Princess Leia costume, complete with everything except a pal to be Jabba the Hutt.

Plus, he has a massive Star Wars tattoo on his leg, covering nearly the entire front of his thigh. The top part of it is a portrait of Darth Vader (Death Star included), and the bottom part closer to his knee appears to be an image of Vader battling with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

And when the No. 12 Ford driver got the chance to go to Disney World in the days before the Daytona 500 last month and visit the Star Wars-themed area Galaxy’s Edge, he said he “couldn’t say yes fast enough.” On his journey to become a Jedi, Blaney made a green lightsaber to take home and rode the rides, the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Rise of the Resistance. He said the whole experience was “awesome.”

So, For The Win recently spoke with Blaney about all things Star Wars, from his favorite (and least favorite) characters to the The Rise of Skywalker to what makes The Empire Strikes Back so incredible.

This very nerdy interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

1. Which Star Wars movie is the best by itself?

Empire.

2. How do you rank the three Star Wars trilogies?

I think the originals first, and then, hmmm, I think the newer one is second and then the prequels third.

It sounds like that was a tough call between the prequel and sequel trilogies.

So Phantom Menace is the first one I ever saw, Episode I, when I was like seven. So that is always really close to first for me because it has a lot of memories as far as my first one, but it’s second after Empire [in terms of movies ranked].

That’s my favorite of the prequels because I was a big Darth Maul fan, and it was the first one I saw as a kid and you always remember that. I didn’t see Empire until I was older and because my parents weren’t Star Wars fans. So they didn’t tell me about these things, so I had to find out on my own.

3. What did you think of The Rise of Skywalker?

I thought it was OK. There were a couple things I didn’t like in it, but I thought they ended it pretty decently. They closed a couple gaps that they needed to close. Overall, I thought it was pretty good. I know people were giving it a hard time, but I enjoyed it. Either you like it or you don’t.

And I think some of the original Star Wars fans are like, “Oh, these movies are terrible!” But I like all of them. They’re all different eras. You’ve got the originals from the ‘70s and ‘80s and the prequels in ‘99 and early 2000s, and then these. It’s pretty cool to see the differences in all of them. Whether you like them or not, I think it’s cool just to be along for the ride.

4. Who’s the best Star Wars character?

Oh, I’m in love with Rey.

She’s the best character in the whole franchise?

Well, she’s my favorite. The best character is — I don’t know.

I was a big Darth Maul fan because he was such a cool villain, and I was hoping he was around more. They brought him back in the Clone Wars and the animated stuff, but he was cool. I had a Darth Maul lightsaber as a kid.

5. Who’s the worst character?

Jar-Jar Binks.

Editor’s note: Obviously.

6. Who’s the best non-human character?

I like Admiral Ackbar. The way he talks is funny, and he’s a pretty funny looking dude.

7. Where do you stand on Ewoks?

I think they’re cool. I don’t mind them. They helped out a lot. They had sticks, and they did good.

8. In the famous cantina scene in A New Hope, did Han shoot Greedo first?

I think he did because he shot him. He got him.

[Pauses for a moment.]

Yeah, I think he shot first. He wasn’t taking any chances.

9. Why do you think stormtroopers are such bad shots?

Can’t see out of them helmets, man. You’ve got like this much vision [fingers slightly apart]. And think of any movie where the bad guys are sharpshooters. It’s terrible. They have no sights on their weapons. They’re just shooting wildly in the air.

But I’m going to blame the helmets on that. Can’t see nothing out of them.

10. Is there a scene or line you always find yourself quoting?

I don’t quote it all the time, but [in The Empire Strikes Back] when Han is getting frozen in carbonite, Leia says, “I love you.” And he’s like, “I know.” So whenever anyone gives me a compliment, I just say, “I know.” It’s not the exact line, but you know.

I like the second time we get that in Return of the Jedi when she Solos him back.

Oh, yeah!

11. Is there any scene or moment that still gives you goosebumps?

So, it’s tough, right? I saw the prequels first before I saw the originals just with the timeline I was born. So when I got to the, “I am your father” line, I already knew. So that part is still a great line, but you already know it’s coming.

I can’t imagine for the people that were seeing the original back then, and they dropped that line, and they’re like, “Bombshell drop!” But that one always is pretty cool.

That, or in Phantom Menace when Qui-Gon Jinn gets killed. I remember watching that as a kid and was so distraught. I was like, “Man, you killed Liam Neeson, man. That’s nuts.”

12. Have you seen The Mandalorian yet?

Not yet. I’ve gotta figure it out because my house, I have satellite internet. HughesNet, it’s terrible, so I can’t stream anything. So I have to try to find a way to get it on my iPad.

Dude, what?

But I’ve heard good things about it.

13. Well I wanted to ask you about Baby Yoda. Like, is Baby Yoda a baby?

BABY YODA (Disney Plus via AP)
BABY YODA (Disney Plus via AP)

I’ve only seen the pictures and stuff, but I think he’s like a teenager in that one. Yoda when he dies is like 900 years old. I would say he’s like early 30s, not in his years but in human years. OK, let’s go in his years. I’d say he’s maybe 50 years old, 80 years old, something like that.

14. Is there one movie you rewatch more than others?

Empire never gets old because it’s dark and weird, and it’s pretty cool. That’s one I probably watch the most. I have big box sets, and I probably throw that one on the most.

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