Ryan Blaney is set to pursue a historic third consecutive autumn victory at Martinsville Speedway during the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500, with his team focusing on fresh strategies as pressures mount. As Blaney aims to secure another Ryan Blaney Martinsville race win, the stakes are especially high, with his recent performance placing him just beneath the cut line ahead of the penultimate event in Martinsville, Virginia.
Blaney’s Road to Martinsville: Building on a Championship Pedigree
Ryan Blaney, piloting the No. 12 Discount Tire Ford for Team Penske, has made headlines since joining the organization in 2018, amassing a series of top-tier finishes at Martinsville Speedway. Prior to his breakthrough 2023 NASCAR Cup Championship, Blaney’s path was notably predicted by his father, Dave Blaney, who expressed confidence about his son’s rise to the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway.
The accuracy of Dave Blaney’s foresight became evident in 2023, when Ryan began the postseason ranked 11th. He was quick to progress to the Round of 12 and clinched a vital win at Talladega Superspeedway, granting him access to the Round of 8. His first win at Martinsville Speedway sealed his place in the Championship 4, and his eventual runner-up finish at Phoenix secured him the Bill France trophy and his inaugural NASCAR Cup title, a triumph he achieved after racing against Ross Chastain among other fierce competitors.
High Stakes at Martinsville: Facing the Cut Line Once More
As the 2024 season advances, Blaney finds himself in a familiar position: below the cutoff entering the crucial Xfinity 500 at Martinsville. Despite achieving the last two fall race victories at this storied track, he and his crew chief, Jonathan Hassler, understand that past success provides no guarantees.
“For us, we have to focus on the facts and approach the race as if we haven’t done it before,”
Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, said.
“We have to go and do it again. We can’t rely on the fact that we’ve been able to do it.”
The critical focus for the weekend centers on tire management and car setup, especially given upcoming changes at the track. With a new softer left-side tire compound coming from Goodyear—tested by Joey Logano’s No. 22 Penske team at New Hampshire Motor Speedway earlier this year—the dynamic may shift, and meticulous preparation is essential.
Adapting to Track and Tire Changes
Jonathan Hassler emphasizes preparation and adaptability as essential, noting the value of the Friday and Saturday practice sessions. Understanding how the new tire will perform and how the track absorbs rubber over the weekend is a significant factor for the team.
“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, said.
Since Hassler assumed crew chief duties for Blaney in 2022, their combined efforts have produced an impressive average finish of 4.57 at Martinsville. The team’s focus on passing cars and maximizing long-run speed has distinguished Blaney among his peers on the 0.526-mile circuit.
“The hardest thing at Martinsville, I feel like, is being fast and being able to make passes as well,”
Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, said.
“He has an approach that has been able to allow us to pass cars.”
“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, said.
Temperature fluctuations between practice and race days are not expected to create significant challenges, but careful monitoring of how the new tires interact with the track surface remains a top priority. Hassler points out the need to learn in real time and adjust strategy accordingly to manage tire wear and capitalize on pit strategies as the race unfolds.
“I think temperature-wise Saturday and Sunday look relatively similar, so we won’t have a huge curveball hopefully from that aspect,”
Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, said.
“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, said.
Key Moments from 2023: Tire Strategy and On-Track Moves
Blaney’s tactical expertise at Martinsville was on showcase last season, when his ability to conserve tires and maintain composure during extended green flag runs secured a dramatic victory. Entering last fall’s race 38 points out of Championship 4 contention, Blaney qualified 14th. He charged through the field, finishing second in Stage 2 before engaging in pivotal on-track battles against Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Shane van Gisbergen, and William Byron.
During the final sequence, Blaney carved his way through the top ranks after a crucial pit stop during the eighth caution. Restarting in ninth with fifty laps left, he quickly moved forward, overtaking Byron and later overtaking Chase Elliott after a late-race surge, ultimately securing the win with just fifteen laps remaining on the clock. The timely tire strategy—a decision to pit for fresh rubber on the long run—proved decisive.
“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,”
Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, said.
“Obviously, we survived to that point. That’s a big part of it,”
Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, said.
Pressure from Rivals and Road Ahead
Although Blaney’s 2023 Martinsville win propelled him to a title showdown at Phoenix, he ultimately finished runner-up to teammate Joey Logano. Team Penske’s dominance has been on full display, with its drivers sweeping the last three championships at Phoenix, creating heightened motivation for rival teams to challenge their supremacy in the upcoming races.
“I think it may be even tougher this year,”
Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, said.
“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. I think in this particular race, more times than not, having good long-run speed will pay off,”
Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief, said.
The Significance of Martinsville and Blaney’s Place in HISTORY
A potential third straight victory at Martinsville Speedway for Ryan Blaney would mark a remarkable achievement both for his personal career and for Team Penske. Facing tough competitors such as Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Shane van Gisbergen, and others, Blaney’s pursuit is not just a matter of team pride but a test of composure under pressure. The championship implications of a Ryan Blaney Martinsville race win extend to how the field shapes up for the Phoenix finale, impacting athletes, sponsors, and NASCAR fans worldwide.
As practice and qualifying sessions unfold, all eyes are on how Blaney, his crew chief Jonathan Hassler, and Team Penske adapt to the evolving conditions. Martinsville’s tight corners and new tire challenges guarantee intensity and drama in the days ahead, ensuring the race remains a critical juncture in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
