Ryan Blaney’s pursuit of a repeat victory at Martinsville Speedway arrives at a critical stage, as the Team Penske driver aims to secure his place in the Championship 4 during this weekend’s Round of 8 finale. With the Ryan Blaney Martinsville championship run at stake, Crew Chief Jonathan Hassler and the No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse team are focused on replicating past success while navigating new challenges at the Virginia short track.
Team Penske Approaches the Final Showdown at Martinsville
Jonathan Hassler, who leads Blaney’s crew, engaged with media members ahead of the high-pressure race, reflecting on the similarities to last year’s scenario that saw the Penske squad clinch a critical win at the same event. Despite recent achievements at Martinsville, Hassler emphasized the necessity of a fresh mindset entering this decisive weekend:
“I think, for us, we have to focus on the fact and approach the race as if we haven’t done it before. We have to go and do it again. We can’t rely on the fact that we’ve been able to do it, we just have to put our best foot forward and make sure that we’re taking the best car we can and that we’re studied up on the strategy and the things that we need to do to be competitive at the end of the race.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Hassler also described the drive and determination Blaney brings to the track each week, highlighting a renewed focus and motivation following a missed opportunity at Talladega. His comments reinforced the team’s readiness:
“I definitely don’t have to push Ryan. He was as upset as anybody after Talladega when we put ourselves in a really good position to win, but by Monday he was focused on going and trying to win Martinsville again and making sure, like I said, we were as competitive as we could be for this race this weekend.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Navigating Challenges and Maintaining Composure
In discussing the team’s approach, Hassler insists that concern and anxiety are not productive as the stakes rise, particularly with the championship on the line:
“You definitely can’t worry. You just have to go to work and make sure, like I said before, are as good and competitive as you know how to be.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
This year brings additional complexity, including a new tire compound that both the Saturday practice sessions and Sunday’s race will test. Weather looks steady, but tire performance will be constantly monitored for both setup and race-day strategy:
“I think temperature-wise Saturday and Sunday look relatively similar, so we won’t have a huge curveball hopefully from that aspect and we’ll just have to look at how the track takes rubber throughout each of the two groups and how tire wear looks compared to what we’ve seen in the past and build off of that.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Practice Insights and Race Expectations
Practice plays a vital role in dialing in the No. 12 car for competitiveness, as Hassler describes Blaney’s deep involvement in the process. He stresses that identifying ideal handling and performance often starts on Saturday:
“I think on Saturday when we practice he has a really good feel for what he wants out of the car. The hardest thing at Martinsville, I feel like, is being fast and being able to make passes as well and he has an approach that has been able to allow us to pass cars, and I think he’s looking for something specific out of the car in practice and through the weekend to be able to do that.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
The challenge for consecutive wins is evident, and while previous experience helps, Hassler reiterates that only consistent focus and hard work will bring further success:
“I agree entirely with what Ryan says about that. Yes, we won there twice. It’s certainly not easy to do. It doesn’t come on its own. We don’t bring the same setup from the spring. It only comes with a lot of hard work and the only way we’re gonna do it again is to bear down and work hard and have a good car and make sure we’re in the picture at the end of the race.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Comparing the Pressure of the Playoffs and Recent Performance
Team Penske has captured the last three championships, yet Hassler acknowledges the unique strain of this postseason. Entering Martinsville without having secured a spot in the Championship 4 is unfamiliar, but the team remains grounded and determined:
“Yeah, it’s a tough position to be in, but I don’t think you ever really think about it like that. I think you accept the weeks past as situations that have happened, events that have transpired, and then look at the situation that you’re in and try to figure out what you need to do to get through it. We have been able to do it before on the 12 team and we haven’t gone to Martinsville yet locked in, so we just have to go and do what we know how to do and try to win the race.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Rival teams, such as Joe Gibbs Racing, have gained attention for their speed, especially at Phoenix, the site of the championship decider. Still, Hassler tempers expectations regarding their own championship favorite status:
“I think it obviously speaks to what we’ve been able to do over the last couple of years and the speed that we’ve had, really, with both drivers, Ryan and Joey, at Phoenix. I certainly don’t think it’s true. Loudon, I think, is kind of what transpired a lot of those comments. I think we showed up as a group as good there as we’ve ever been. Some of that is just the result of the opportunity to go and test at Loudon and learn some different things. Does some of that carry over to Phoenix? Sure, but are we gonna be the fastest car – if we get to Phoenix are we gonna be the fastest car in every run of practice and qualifying and lead the whole race? Absolutely not. I think those guys, the Gibbs camp, they were definitely stronger at Phoenix this spring than they’ve ever been and will be super competitive here in a couple of weeks.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Battling the Unique Demands of Martinsville
The Loudon test and resulting tire data represent just one aspect of the constantly evolving puzzle for the Penske team. Hassler addresses how lessons from recent tests provide insight but not a full answer to the weekend’s tire strategy:
“Yeah, I think that one specific instance with this tire change that we have and the fact that those guys had the ability to make a couple runs on it you can sort of infer a little bit of what you think the tire might do at Martinsville based on what it did at Loudon, but there are a lot of other factors that will be different as well. It’s one more data point to add to the whole matrix of decisionmaking, but it’s not the only piece of information that we rely on and the tire very well could respond a little bit differently and most likely will this weekend at Martinsville, so it’s nice to have that little bit of information, but it’s certainly not the whole picture and we’ll have to go and practice on this tire and even run part of the race before we really understand how it’s different.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Martinsville’s emphasis on tire management and track position is compounded with the softer tire, with Hassler noting that pit strategy might evolve but drastic changes are unlikely:
“I think you hit the nail on the head with what they’re trying to get out of the tire, a softer tire, trying to get some more wear. I think at a track like Martinsville, where track position is everything, I think the lap maybe that you want to come and pit for four tires might be a little bit earlier, but I don’t foresee the situation where you go and run 10 or 15 laps and you want to come down and put four tires on it. I don’t think it will be a drastic change, but it will certainly change how far you’ll want to take the left side tires.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Adjusting car setups and race plans to account for tire alterations is central to the crew chief’s role. Hassler explains how changes force adaptations, not just in the vehicle but in decision-making processes throughout the event:
“I think you really just have to adapt to the tire. You put a hard tire on, then you’re setting yourself up to run a lot of the race on the same left side strategy-wise, setup-wise there are changes you make when that’s what you want to do, so opposite with the softer tire. We’ll maybe adjust the car a little bit as we load up this week for expecting it to behave a little bit differently and adjust our strategy slightly based on that as well.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Embracing Analytics and Continuous Improvement
Hassler draws on learnings beyond the racetrack, revealing that data analytics is an ongoing passion and a useful tool in shaping both strategy and team mindset. Citing books, especially those by Joe Maddon, the integration of analytics into sports is front of mind:
“I’ve been reading a lot of data analytics in sports books. I started with Joe Maddon, a book by him on how he adapted to the analytics movement in baseball. I read a couple of other books on the same subject and found that really fascinating. Obviously, our whole world continues to be taken over by data and AI and those kinds of things, and then somebody just recently gave me a copy of the Jackie Stewart autobiography and I think I’ll start that this winter.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Even as racing teams grow more dependent on data, Hassler points out that the human element and adaptability remain central to building a winning program:
“I think a lot of people, sports are fairly simple, but yet data and analytics have changed the way teams play sports, and I think racing is a lot more scientific, so I think it’s sort of inherent that data is a part of our lives, but I still think there’s a lot of room for us to continue to accept it and utilize it more. Like I said, data has the ability to change the sport that people have played for hundreds of years a certain way. It certainly has the ability to continue to change motorsports, so I definitely look at it just kind of open-minded and certainly trying to find places to be better professionally.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Learning from the Past, Preparing for the Present
Reflecting on last year’s pivotal Martinsville run while 38 points below the cutline, Hassler distills the keys to their strategy and survival. Crucial long-run tire calls aided their advance, but the atmosphere is even more intense this season:
“I think the big things that stand out, honestly, for the last two years in this race, we had an opportunity to put tires on with a long run to end the race and that sort of played out to our advantage. Obviously, we survived to that point. That’s a big part of it. I think it may be even tougher this year. I feel like we have even more of a bullseye on our back than we’ve had in the past, so you just need to survive and I think in this particular race, more times than not, having good long run speed will pay off.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Adaptation is continuous, as proven by how Hassler weighs past successes and upcoming changes. The mix of old knowledge and new circumstances, especially with shifting tire performance, requires constant evaluation:
“I think inherently that’s just what we do. You’re trying to always take what you did in the past, understand if you had the opportunity to do it again what you would do differently, but mix that in as you have changes and bring in different tires, as weather is different, how do you adapt what you’ve done – the conditions that you know are gonna be different. I think at this point in the job it just kind of comes naturally.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Blaney’s Strength on the Long Runs and the Team’s Strategic Vision
Long-run consistency has emerged as a hallmark for the Blaney-Hassler partnership. The dynamic between driver and crew chief enables the No. 12 squad to excel during extended green-flag segments, often positioning them well in the closing stages:
“I think Ryan and I have obviously had a few years together now. I think a lot of times you’re just trying to find any advantage that you can have, and I think over the last couple of years that’s something that has come to us – the area that we’ve been able to make consistent performance is on the long run. I think it’s a combination of my philosophies with how he drives the car. I think I’ll be frank and tell you that there are a lot of tracks that we wish we could flip that switch and have a little bit more short run speed, and, honestly, that’s been a project of ours over the year is how do we get a little bit more front side speed. I think it’s something that we’re trying to figure out. It’s something that we’re trying to understand and utilize to our advantage.”
– Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Significance for Blaney, Team Penske, and the Championship
Ryan Blaney’s Martinsville championship run stands as a pivotal chapter in both his career and in Team Penske’s ongoing legacy as a NASCAR powerhouse. Facing strong competition from teams like Joe Gibbs Racing and navigating the evolving challenges each season brings, Blaney and Hassler rely on methodical preparation and advanced analytics to stay ahead in a fiercely competitive environment. Their approach at Martinsville—blending knowledge with adaptability—underscores the relentless effort required to reach and thrive in the Championship 4.
With the Playoff battle intensifying and variables like tire performance and in-race strategy taking center stage, the upcoming weekend will test every aspect of the No. 12 team’s preparation. A successful result will not only secure Blaney a chance at the NASCAR Cup Series title but could further cement Penske’s recent run of championships, adding to the ongoing saga of NASCAR’s most intense late-season moments.
