Who is Shelby Blackstock?
Shelby Blackstock is a race car driver, but perhaps best recognized as the son of the popular songwriter, actress and country singer Reba McEntire. He was born under the Zodiac sign Pisces on 23 February 1990, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. As of 2021, he is 31 years old and holds American nationality. Shelby is currently living in Nashville with his fiancé.
Early life, education and family
He was brought up in Nashville by his mother and father Narvel Blackstock, who is a famous producer and manager, best known for his projects “Malibu” and “God’s Country”. Reba, often referred to as “Queen of Country”, has sold more than 75 million albums worldwide, having released over 30.
She’s also appeared in several TV shows and movies, including her show “Reba”, plus “Malibu Country” and “North”.
Despite having been together for 25 years, Shelby’s parents divorced in 2015. Reportedly, Shelby’s father filed for the divorce, while Reba released a statement saying that it had not been her choice to part ways. A couple of months after the dissolution of the marriage, Naval began dating his and Reba’s friend Laura Putty Stroud.
Regarding Shelby’s siblings, he has a half-brother named Brendon, who was married to Kelly Clarkson, and two half-sisters Chassidy and Shawna. Growing up, Brendon developed an interest in football among other games. During his high school days, he played football for his school’s team, but after he enrolled at a college, he shifted his focus to car racing.
Shelby started attending Bob Bondurant School of High-Performance Driving, and soon dropped out to launch his career as a professional race driver.
Career
Shelby kicked off his career in 2010, and in 2011 drove a Ford Mustang competing in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. The following year, he participated in the Skip Barber National Championship.
In 2012 he raced for Andretti Autosport in the US F2000 National Championship, finishing eighth with 153 points. The following year, he completed 16 races of the Pro Mazda Championship, taking first place at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park again for Andretti Autosport, and finished third with 297 points.
He also competed the following year, but wasn’t as successful finishing fourth with 235 points, and completing 14 out of 16 races.
In 2015 he participated in Indy Light and finished 10th with 218 points, while the following year he did better, joining Belarudi Auto Racing and landing in eighth place with 227 points. In 2018, he joined Team Pelfrey for the Indy Light series; the following year he competed in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race, and took the win with Tom O’Groman and claimed TCR class victory for Honda Civic Type R.
In 2020 he and Trent Hindman secured the Overall’s crown at the 2020 GT World Challenge America (GTWCA), and grabbed the Manufacturer’s championship for Acura. In an interview, Shelby talked about this extraordinary experience, saying: ‘It was a great package overall.
A strong team, manufacturer, and car gave us the tools we needed to get the job done. I want to thank Racers Edge Motorsports, Acura Motorsports, and Honda Racing HPD for their support throughout the year.’
Personal Life
While nothing is known about his previous dating history, Shelby has been dating Marissa Branch since 2016. Reportedly, they met on the dating application Tinder in 2015. Born and raised in Florida, Marissa is a licensed esthetician, social media influencer, and self-proclaimed Disney princess.
After four years of dating, Shelby finally popped the question in December 2020 in Epcot. The fans are still eagerly waiting the announcement of their wedding date.
The couple seems to be enjoying their life together as they often post photos to their social media with heartwarming captions. Recently, Shelby uploaded a photo of their Halloween costumes, dressed as Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.
Scandals and Controversy
Back in the day, it was rumored that Shelby was gay – many fans stated that the actor was spending a lot of time with an unidentified man, whom they claimed was his boyfriend. Additionally, at the time he wasn’t officially dating anyone, and was very secretive about his personal life, which only added fuel to these rumors. However, they were quickly dispersed after he started dating Marissa.
Entrepreneurial Endeavors
Shelby launched a company and merchandise brand entitled “Heartland”, which features T-shirts, hoodies, and hats. According to the website, the mission behind the brand is to create quality clothing and accessories, which cater to the people who love spending time outdoors.
Physical stats and Hobbies
Shelby’s hair is light brown, while his eyes are dark brown. He’s 5ft 10ins tall (178cm), weighs around 158lbs (72kgs), and as a race car driver, he has a very fit and muscular physique.
He is a huge animal fan, and has two dogs; a husky named Elle and a Corgi named Watson.
When he is not working, he likes to travel, and has visited many countries, including Greece, Morocco, and France with his fiancé. He is also a great fan of outdoor sports, such as camping, fishing, and hiking, which prompted him to launch his nature-inspired apparel.
What is his net worth?
As of 2021, his net worth is estimated at over $8 million, earned through his career spanning 11 years. Additionally, he earns through his brand, sponsorships, and affiliations.
On the other hand, his mother’s wealth is estimated at $95 million, while his father also doesn’t fall short when it comes to his net worth, which is around $60 million.
Is he active on social media?
Shelby is very active on his Instagram, which counts nearly 40,000 followers; he usually posts photos of his dogs, trips with his fiancé, and upcoming projects career-wise. His Twitter account has nearly 15,000 followers, while his Facebook account has over 42,000 fans. Additionally, he has his official website on which he posts relevant information about his successes in car racing.
