"Make me a Stormtrooper": Ryan Blaney makes his plea to join iconic space opera franchise Star Wars 

Ryan Blaney has made it known he wants to make an appearance in Star Wars. The NASCAR Cup Series champion recently expressed interest in joining the iconic franchise, even if it means playing a background Stormtrooper who doesn’t survive the scene.

The NASCAR Cup Series star made the comment during an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. He said,

“Make me a Stormtrooper […] you don't even have to see my face […] you can kill me, that's fine.” (1:22 onwards)

Before dreaming of walking in Stormtrooper armor, Ryan Blaney already dipped his toes into Hollywood. In 2017, he made a cameo as a delivery boy in the movie Logan Lucky, a heist comedy set during a NASCAR event. That same year, Blaney voiced “Inside Laney” in Pixar’s Cars 3, a character directly inspired by his real-life racing career.

His appearances didn’t stop there. In 2021, Blaney featured in the Netflix comedy The Crew, starring Kevin James. The show was set in the world of NASCAR, and Blaney played himself. He also took a turn in scripted drama, appearing in Taken, the NBC series based on the popular film franchise, playing Special Agent Nathan Wood in Season 2.

Most recently, Ryan Blaney featured in NASCAR: Full Speed, Netflix’s 2024 docuseries chronicling the 2023 NASCAR playoffs. That season ended with Blaney winning the Cup Series title.

Blaney’s love for Star Wars is no secret in NASCAR circles. In fact, NASCAR once published an article titled Why Ryan Blaney Might Be a Jedi, drawing parallels between Blaney and the Skywalker saga.

The piece compared Blaney’s life to the franchise’s characters: from starting his racing career young like Anakin Skywalker, to going through equipment failures and still winning races, just like Luke Skywalker trusting the Force. He’s known to keep a Star Wars rug in his motorcoach, and yes, he won at Pocono (“The Tricky Triangle”) soon after placing it there.

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Cup champion, Ryan Blaney weighs in on Bowman Gray stadium plans

NASCAR confirmed that the Cook Out Clash will return to Bowman Gray Stadium in 2026. The venue first hosted the Clash in 2025 after moving from The Coliseum, and Ryan Blaney has publicly supported the decision.

In a recent interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Ryan Blaney praised the event’s success at Bowman Gray and said the race delivered real action—something fans and drivers both appreciated. He also pushed the idea of rotating the championship race, inspired by how the Clash has now changed locations. Blaney said,

“I thought it was a huge success earlier this year. I loved running around that place. I think everybody really enjoyed it. I think it put on a really good show, honestly. Like, there was a lot of passing, there was a lot of tire fall-off. So I think it was good they finally got that out there and I see everybody excited about it, as they should be.” (0:04 onwards)

Blaney added, “That’s great news. I love keeping it there at Bowman Gray, at least for two, three years, right? I mean, you can, that’s another one. We talk about rotating the championship weekend or whatever. You can rotate that race too and they’ve done that. So I’m happy it got a second date.”

Currently, Ryan Blaney remains in strong form. After winning the Cup Series title in 2023, he finished second to Joey Logano in 2024. This season, he’s already secured a playoff spot and is once again in the hunt for the championship.