Team Penske stands poised at a pivotal moment as the 2025 NASCAR playoffs arrive, eager to secure a remarkable fourth consecutive championship title. This anticipated feat, however, faces new complexity following significant changes within the team’s engineering ranks and a shifting playoff landscape prompted by ongoing debates about fairness from fans and competitors. With a reputation built on technical mastery and consistent results, Team Penske’s dominance has been heavily driven by their engineering approach, though that edge may now be tested in unforeseen ways.
The recent departure of Miles Stanley, who led Team Penske’s Performance Engineering department for three seasons, has sent ripples through the NASCAR paddock. Last October, Stanley announced that he would be leaving his role to become crew chief at Wood Brothers Racing for Josh Berry in 2025, closing a transformative chapter with Team Penske. Well-regarded for his technical acumen and strategic mindset, Stanley’s history with Team Penske includes serving as race engineer for Joey Logano’s No. 22 team from 2013 through 2019. During that period, Logano clinched the 2018 championship and made three appearances in the Championship 4, establishing a framework for success that heavily relied on Stanley’s input.
Stanley’s journey at Team Penske continued as he joined Ryan Blaney’s team in a similar engineering capacity before overseeing the #33 entry and later transitioning to manage Penske’s Next Gen testing and overall development. According to Stanley, his ascension to the lead performance engineering role in 2022 became a turning point for both the team and his career. Tasked with unifying Penske’s technical group while NASCAR unveiled the new car, Stanley’s vision and collaborative style laid the foundation for Team Penske’s run of three straight playoff crowns. Reflecting on this chapter, Stanley stated,
His unique insights into the workings of Team Penske have not gone unnoticed. As Stanley embarks on his new journey with Wood Brothers Racing, he views his recent transition as less of a challenge and more of an advantage. Drawing upon years spent understanding Penske’s drivers, strategies, and engineering practices, Stanley enters his role at WBR with a wealth of inside information. He has publicly noted how that familiarity with former teammates, their feedback styles, and underlying strengths grants him a strategic edge as he builds a competitive unit at Wood Brothers Racing, directly influenced by his time spent immersed in Team Penske’s championship culture.
As the 2025 season unfolds, Team Penske’s full-time drivers continue to deliver strong performances. Joey Logano and Austin Cindric each scored crucial wins, while Ryan Blaney has consistently been within striking distance, underlining the team’s collective strength despite personnel shifts. Ahead of the Kansas race, 2023 Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney shared details on recent engineering changes that have shaped Team Penske’s performance. The Ford Mustang nose redesign implemented for 2024 initially hindered the team’s pace, yet once Blaney, Logano, and Cindric adapted, results began to flow.
Blaney explained that, unlike last season, Team Penske did not encounter major mechanical overhauls heading into 2025—allowing them to translate hard-earned progress from the prior summer directly into this year’s campaign. He asserted that the team’s internal engineering strengths, forged over years of collaboration and recent technical innovations, have propelled them further ahead than usual at this stage of the season. Their focus has shifted from rebuilding to refining, a process that amplifies their established playoff advantage.
Despite Stanley’s exit, Blaney and his teammates remain resolute. He emphasized in media interviews that, while every playoff season brings fresh challenges, Team Penske’s engineering-driven mindset and refined approach ensure they remain formidable opponents. The underlying theme is unmistakable: while changes in personnel and playoff structure are inevitable, the foundational commitment to excellence continues to define Team Penske’s ambitions.
As the NASCAR season advances, all eyes are on how Team Penske’s championship pursuit adapts to the absence of a key engineering architect and whether recent strategic shifts can withstand intensified competition. The legacy of engineering excellence and a culture of adaptability position them as both favorites and targets, with fans and rivals alike watching for signs of whether a new order may finally disrupt their dominance. Whatever the outcome, Team Penske’s playoff journey promises to set a high bar for resilience, innovation, and competitive drama through the closing stretch of 2025.
