Dale Earnhardt Jr owns one of the most splendid properties you’ll ever see. A huge 300-acre old-school Western town worth $5.2 million, Whisky River is Junior’s prized possession. He built it to protect his actual house from getting flooded with parties. However, many people don’t know that the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney used to be a resident of Dale Jr’s marvelous town.

Making a guest appearance on the popular podcast Bussin’ with the Boys, Blaney said that the three years in Whisky River was the most enjoyable phase of his life. The Team Penske star also added that he and Dale Jr often gathered for small parties, which ‘absolutely wrecked’ him.

The most fun phase of Ryan Blaney’s life

Joining the hosts Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, Blaney discussed various topics on the podcast, including moves from the famous racing movie Talladega Nights. As the conversation continued, Ryan Blaney reminisced his initial days of racing in the top flight. The No.12 driver started his Cup Series career with Wood Brothers Racing in 2015 after just two appearances for Penske in 2014.

His stay in Whisky River started around the same time, as he rented a house across the lush greenery in the town, about a thousand yards away from Dale Earnhardt Jr’s abode. Blaney described his experience: “I lived on Dale’s property for like three years. I lived right across the woods from there. The Whiskey River town, yes, I lived there, yeah. Funnest times in my life.”

“I was like a rookie in the Cup Series. I’m 21 years old, living by myself in my house I’m renting for the first time, and like, Dale’s a thousand yards through the woods. Dale was still racing at that time. So we would get done with these races on Sunday night, get home at 10-10:30, and I would go drive a four-wheeler through the woods to Dale’s house and get absolutely wrecked for like six hours and then one eye a four-wheeler through the woods, back to my place.”

The lore of the duo’s friendship goes back to when Junior hadn’t retired. Blaney moved out of the residence in 2017 following Dale Jr’s unexpected retirement from NASCAR. It looks like Dale Earnhardt Jr naming Ryan Blaney as his candidate for the 2023 Cup Series championship does have a history to it.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr built Whisky River to protect his house from destruction

Named after Willie Nelson’s iconic country song, Whisky River comprises a world of facilities. Apart from a Wild West-themed town, it also holds a luxurious garage, race tracks, and a famous graveyard for race cars. However, the primary reason for establishing the property was to protect his actual house from any damage from the parties he hosted, similar to the wrecking Blaney mentioned.

“I wanted a place for me and my friends to hang out, and I didn’t want to destroy my house. We would drink a lot of beer and hang out and have fun and stay up all night,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr to HBO Sports.

Aside from a barber’s shop, a jail, a pharmacy, and many more amenities, the one thing that stands out the most is the race car graveyard. Junior had a knack for collecting crash cars on his property and had more than 100 such cars. Including many of his crashed cars, the property also has cars of NASCAR stars like Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick, and Juan Pablo Montoya.

The luxury garage, Dirty Dome, has various cars, winners’ trophies, jumpsuits, and more memorabilia. Apart from that, the property also houses a basketball court, one of his crew’s favorite places. Away from it, Dale Earnhardt Jr, his wife Amy Reimann, and their two daughters Nicole and Isla reside in the 11,784-square-foot mansion.

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Whisky River is truly a magnificent place to stay in. While Dale Jr has built an ever-lasting legacy in NASCAR, he also has an evergreen abode off the track.