Ryan Blaney has provided rare insight into the “Ryan Blaney Penske teammate code,” explaining how Team Penske ensures order and respect among drivers during tense races. His comments come amid heightened attention on intra-team rivalries in NASCAR, as recent on-track incidents have rattled rival organizations and pushed the focus onto how top teams manage their competitive spirit.
Penske’s Approach to Teammate Rivalries in NASCAR
As drama between teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing makes headlines—most recently with Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs tangling on track—Ryan Blaney has drawn attention to Team Penske’s distinctive approach to maintaining unity. These types of rivalries are not new in NASCAR, with previous clashes at Richard Childress Racing and conflicts at Hendrick Motorsports serving as reminders of how quickly team harmony can unravel. Just last week, Denny Hamlin’s last-lap maneuver at Kansas sent Bubba Wallace into the wall, demonstrating the impact these internal battles can have on the championship race.
The leadership style of Roger Penske, Team Penske’s owner, is central to preventing these combustions from disrupting the team’s pursuit of victory.
Really the one thing Roger has ever told us is like, ‘I don’t care who wins, doesn’t matter to me which car wins as long as one of you wins,’
Ryan Blaney shared about Penske’s mindset. This expectation prioritizes team results over individual ambitions, offering a sharp contrast to the fractious scenes seen elsewhere in the garage.
Blaney has witnessed, even from home, how going against this philosophy can shake the foundation of a race team. A vivid example came from the 2021 Daytona 500, when teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski collided on the last lap after fighting hard for the win, leading to a costly double DNF. The aftermath left shop morale at a low for days, showing the emotional toll such implosions have on everyone from crew chiefs to shop managers who pour everything into the team’s performance.
The Code: Racing Hard Without Sabotage
What makes Team Penske’s approach so enduring is the clarity Roger Penske delivers to his drivers. According to Blaney, there is a clear expectation to maintain fierce competition while still putting the team before personal satisfaction.
Yeah, I mean, I feel like we’ve always had an understanding in our building of like, you know, race hard. Roger’s always put it into this perspective of, he doesn’t care who wins, he doesn’t care which car runs first or second, but as long as we run first or second, you know, and that’s just what we’ve always kind of had in our heads and what he expects of us,
Blaney said, highlighting the culture of mutual respect that prevails among teammates like Joey Logano and Austin Cindric.
This code means that yielded wins or sacrificed positions are never required—drivers should race for themselves, but never at the cost of destroying both cars or upending the team’s day.
He never wants one of us to roll over and give the win or hold back and give the win to another guy, another teammate, but make sure you run, you know, where you are,
Blaney explained further. This tightrope is a vital difference from teams where unclear boundaries can trigger name-calling or even crashes in the heat of the moment.
In other organizations, pressure has mounted for leadership to draw clearer lines. Joe Gibbs had to address his team after a recent incident left both cars with damaged playoff hopes, reflecting a less consistent standard than what Team Penske drivers have internalized over years of working together.
Comparisons with Recent NASCAR Teammate Clashes
The events at Joe Gibbs Racing are a stark reminder that balancing individual goals with team objectives is among the toughest challenges in motorsports. After Denny Hamlin spun Ty Gibbs in New Hampshire, the tension forced another meeting with owner Joe Gibbs. Hamlin called for new guidelines, remarking,
He has had this conversation multiple times with everyone in the room, but I think it probably needs to be said again. And so what I’ve heard is that if you’re a non-playoff car, any break that you can cut your teammates, please do.
Hamlin’s words came after internal frustrations about repeated point losses in a tight playoff chase.
Hendrick Motorsports has also faced high-profile friction, most notably in 2023 when Chase Elliott bumped Kyle Larson at Kansas. Richard Childress Racing’s 2013 blowup between Kevin Harvick and Ty Dillon is yet another cautionary tale of what can happen when emotions overcome discipline. In all these cases, the need for a set code—like what Ryan Blaney outlines—becomes clear.
Blaney, in reflecting on the internal Penske dynamic, noted the unavoidable competitiveness within any organization filled with top drivers. Still, he points out, Team Penske’s culture ensures that hungry racing doesn’t escalate into destructive rivalries.
Well, I definitely feel like we in our building don’t want to ever give up an opportunity of one of us winning the race. Yeah, I see you want to. I want to bring my 12 team and win, just like the other guys want to bring their respective teams to win,
said Blaney, describing the delicate yet successful balance that has earned the organization multiple championships.
Recent results support this philosophy. Team Penske’s hard-edged, disciplined attitude has yielded three consecutive Cup titles, illustrating that allowing teammates to compete fiercely—without self-destruction—is more advantageous than tense, mistake-prone clashes like the Hamlin and Wallace incident in Kansas.
Penske’s Strategy: Why It Works and What’s at Stake
The success of the Ryan Blaney Penske teammate code owes much to the clarity of Roger Penske’s leadership. Drivers are encouraged to give their best without compromise but must always consider the broader team’s future. History has repeatedly demonstrated the price of losing sight of that balance, whether it’s in the form of wrecked cars, demotivated staff, or lost championship points that linger late into the season’s playoffs.
This commitment to both relentless racing and team preservation has kept Penske out of the turmoil seen by crews at Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and Richard Childress Racing. With the playoffs always looming and stakes at their highest, each driver—Blaney, Logano, and Cindric—understands that one wrong move can mean the difference between championship glory and devastated morale across hundreds of shop workers and fans.
The Charlotte Roval: A Stage for Championship-Defining Drama
Beyond team philosophies, the unique challenges of the Charlotte Roval offer NASCAR drivers a true test. The track’s tight corners and limited runoff areas are a departure from more forgiving circuits, punishing even the smallest mistakes. Chase Elliott, a two-time Roval winner with Hendrick Motorsports, describes the venue’s relentless nature.
It’s a different place, for sure. Doesn’t have a lot of outs. Most road courses we go to have grassy areas or access roads, once you commit to a corner you can get out and bail yourself out. If you make mistakes there, it makes it pretty tough at times to push,
Elliott explained, pointing to the track’s role in shaping playoff outcomes.
The Roval debuted in 2018 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, instantly winning respect for its demanding layout—just 2.28 miles but featuring 17 corners, most of them treacherously close. Elliott’s 2019 and 2020 victories came in high-pressure moments, requiring sharp braking and precision. The stakes are even higher during the playoffs, with one risky move able to erase a year’s effort in a single lap.
Kyle Larson has matched Elliott with two Roval wins for Hendrick Motorsports, emphasizing how the competition brings out every ounce of aggression and skill in the field.
It’s not unpredictable which teams are in front, but the racing is really aggressive. There are more crashes these days. It’s hard to be consistent and get consistent finishes because the competition is just really tight and competitive. But it’s fun—a lot of people have a good shot to win, and you never know who’s going to have a good or better week,
Larson remarked. His experiences in 2021 and 2024 demonstrated how the Roval’s design leads to frequent cautions and frantic restarts.
Hendrick Motorsports has emerged as the most dominant organization at the Roval, earning more team wins there than on any other road course. Part of the appeal is the marriage of road course skills with oval-track speed, producing unpredictable results and creating opportunities for surprise winners. For example, Ryan Blaney’s breakthrough victory came after a last-lap wreck in 2018, while Christopher Bell capitalized for a dramatic playoff-saving win in 2022.
Looking Ahead: The Stakes in the NASCAR Playoffs
This season, flexibility and nerve are critical for drivers hoping to advance through the playoffs. Tyler Reddick displayed that blend by winning his first Roval pole, with Australian Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) set to start alongside him. However, in races like these, starting position only tells part of the story. With the restart zones acting as bottlenecks, Sunday’s event promises more drama, further testing teams’ ability to maintain unity under stress.
As organizations navigate these high-pressure scenarios, the blueprint laid out by Roger Penske and eloquently voiced by Ryan Blaney will be crucial to watch. While the NASCAR garage regularly witnesses sparks between teammates driven by ambition, Team Penske’s structure offers a model for transforming friction into forward momentum, all while keeping an eye on the ultimate prize—a championship for the entire organization, not just one driver.
The Ryan Blaney Penske teammate code stands as a reminder that in one of sports’ most grueling environments, clear expectations, respect, and the pursuit of collective success can keep teams thriving amidst the chaos of the NASCAR playoffs. The next round at the Charlotte Roval, balanced on a knife’s edge, will soon reveal which teams have truly learned this lesson and who may pay the steepest price for unity lost.
.@Blaney gave some insight into @Team_Penske's philosophy on how teammates race each other. #NASCAR
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