In the high-stakes environment of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Ryan Blaney‘s Martinsville Playoff Performance will come under intense scrutiny as he and Joey Logano prepare for a must-win scenario at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. With both Team Penske drivers facing elimination unless they secure victory, their focus has shifted to maximizing performance and handling pressure as they strive for a place in the Championship 4.
Team Penske’s Martinsville Challenge
Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, representing Ford’s Team Penske, have previously established themselves as top competitors at Martinsville during playoff races, collectively securing three Martinsville playoff wins in the NASCAR Cup Series. Both drivers are aware that another win this weekend is the only sure way to advance to the season’s final showdown, as they addressed the media in the infield center ahead of practice and qualifying.
During the media session, Logano openly discussed the extraordinary pressure of championship week compared to a standard race week. He emphasized that the heightened stakes of the Championship 4 intensify every aspect for teams and drivers, distinguishing it significantly from regular season events. Logano noted that each playoff week increases in difficulty, describing the ten-race playoff stretch as demanding both mentally and physically, as drivers and teams must constantly dig deeper to find an edge amid rising tension.
No, because it’s not. It’s not a normal week. It’s the championship week. You have a chance of reaching your ultimate goal. It’s kind of hard to treat that like a normal week. I said this last year and I’ll say it forever, if you say it’s a normal week, it’s just a way to help you sleep because you can’t sleep. The facts are you know it inside. Everybody knows it inside. It’s more. The pressure is on. It’s bigger. You’re closer to reaching the dream. What are you willing to do? Everything is just a little more.
– Joey Logano, Team Penske Driver
Both Logano and Blaney are not in ideal positions in the points standings, leading to an urgent focus on a winning strategy. Logano underscored the clear objective: unless unpredictable circumstances affect other contenders in the early stages, winning outright is their most practical path forward.
It’s a good observation (laughing). Yeah, we’re not in the spot we want to be in, but there’s still a chance. We’re not out yet. It’s not the best position to be in, but it’s pretty simple on what to do unless something crazy happens in the first 50 laps to the other guys, which I wouldn’t expect. It’s pretty clear what we’ve got to do. We have to go out there and win and do whatever we’ve got to do to do it.
– Joey Logano, Team Penske Driver
Enduring the Playoff Pressure
The challenge at Martinsville involves far more than pure speed; mental toughness and a regimented approach are essential due to the relentless nature of the playoffs. Logano shared how pressure can affect drivers differently—some thrive on it, while others let it lead to mistakes. He prefers to transform this pressure into motivation, seeing the playoff structure as a crucible for driver and team resilience.
When I say it affects you, it affects some people negatively, sure, but, to me, I’ve found ways to make it affect me in a positive way, where it just helps me find a little bit more, it’s a little extra motivation, it’s a little extra fire. Those things are all good things. Some people might overdue it. Some people might do it to where they make mistakes. We see that throughout the playoffs all the time, the way the pressure affects everyone – teams, not just drivers, but teams all the way through – crew members, the whole nine, everybody. That’s why I always say I love this format so much because it puts everyone in this crazy position, a really challenging position.
– Joey Logano, Team Penske Driver
Logano contrasted the tension of making the Championship 4 with the agony of falling short, explaining the pain of missing out after coming so close. He insists on being as prepared as possible to avoid second-guessing any decisions, since any oversight within his control could have lifelong psychological consequences.
Again, it ratchets up. It’s so hard to make the Championship 4. It’s an accomplishment to make the Championship 4. It’s a hard thing to do, but when you make the Championship 4, and I know it because I’ve been on both ends of it, the feeling of not winning after you’ve come that far hurts so bad because you never know. You may never get a chance to do that again. You don’t know, so all you want to do is make sure that you’ve done everything you can possibly do to be the most prepared you can be because the biggest fear that I have every weekend but probably even more when it’s a championship race is that you’re gonna go to sleep at the end of the day saying, ‘Gosh, I didn’t do everything I could have done,’ or, ‘I didn’ think of that. That was one piece that I just didn’t think would happen. I didn’t see that one coming. I didn’t cover that base.’ That’s my biggest fear. If something happens out of your control, so be it. I’ve been there as well, but if it’s something I can control and I didn’t think about it, that will haunt you the rest of your life.
– Joey Logano, Team Penske Driver
Blaney’s Approach to Martinsville Playoff Performance
Ryan Blaney, driving the No. 12 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse, brings valuable experience to Martinsville, including past playoff victories at the famed short track. When asked about the pressure in this must-win setting, he reflected on his preparation style, adapting to changing track conditions with a reliance on past race history and an ability to sense the car’s needs during race weekends.
It’s kind of an interesting practice session to the race type thing. Bristol is pretty similar as far as practice to race. A lot of the concrete tracks like I put Dover in there too, you’re gonna have a completely different track to start a practice than what you end with, even in the second group. And then the end of the race it’s gonna be a lot different too just the amount of rubber that gets put down, so I try to think back on previous races here, like how were we in practice and what did we change or what did I need going into the race and was it the right direction or was it kind of different than what I thought it was gonna be and just kind of compare all that stuff. You just try to guess and it’s gonna be pretty cool today and tomorrow. I think it’s gonna be about the same temp as the race tomorrow when we get practice in today, so that helps. You’re not two completely different temperatures, so, yeah, just a lot of previous notes, history, and then just trying to have that feel and, ‘hey, if I’m this way in practice, I kind of need to be prepared for the track to take this little step in this certain direction and let’s guard against that or let’s work towards that, kind of if I need double of what I think I need at the time.’ A lot of track history and experience definitely helps that out and you hope you hit it right.
– Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Driver
On luck versus skill at Martinsville, Blaney dismissed the idea that fortune dictates the race outcome, instead attributing success to having a competitive car, persistent effort, and the narrow margin for error that defines the 500-lap event.
I think that was just a figure of speech. I don’t think you need any luck to win here. I was really just saying lucky to have won here a few times. I just find myself lucky to be in not specifically anything lucky that happened during these races, it’s just lucky to have a car that can go win and be able to win in Victory Lane. It’s just a long race, like 500 laps around here is a lot and a lot of shifts, a lot of things that can go wrong, a lot of things that can go right, so you’ve just kind of have to stay in the game. We’ve stayed in the game the last two fall races here and been able to pull it off and come from behind to get the win, so we’ll see if we can just be in the game tomorrow. That’s all you can really ask for and hopefully our car has the speed to do it and hopefully we adjust on it through the day and through the race to make it happen. I wouldn’t say lucky by any means. I always feel lucky with the chances I’ve gotten through my life.
– Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Driver
Facing Top Competition in a High-Pressure Setting
Martinsville’s playoff round brings together the most competitive teams and drivers, where everyone remaining is capable of winning at this track. Blaney described last year’s memorable finish involving intense battles with other favorites, and he anticipates similarly fierce but fair competition again.
Yeah, I had to do that last year. Heck, I think last year it was the same thing – none of them were locked in, so you know you’re in for a battle and you’re in for a challenge when you’re racing against the guys that have to get in that are in the same spot as you and things like that. Gosh, last year was an awesome finish of the race between me, Chase and Kyle. Three guys under a blanket duking it out and we were able to come out on top. I expect the same thing – hard racing all the way through and fairly clean racing you hope. There’s gonna be contact, but you just hope it doesn’t turn into a cluster like we’ve seen here in the past. I think we’ve been doing it the right way and the way Martinsville is supposed to be raced. You know you’re in for a battle. It’s gonna be a crazy one tomorrow. Four guys gotta win. Two guys kind of having their own little points deal going on and battling not to be the bottom seed in case one of us do win, so it’ll be a wild day and hopefully we’re in the mix. That’s all you can ask for.
– Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Driver
Blaney recognizes that both patience and strategic aggression are pivotal, especially when dealing with slower traffic or late-race scenarios. He shared how drivers must constantly balance whether to wait or make assertive moves to avoid getting stuck and losing key track position.
It depends what moment of the race it is. I compare it to like last year when I was third and kind of running down the 9 and the 5, the 9 got around the 5 and I laid the bumper to the 5 pretty quickly because I didn’t have time. I didn’t have time to sit behind somebody with 20 laps to go in the race. You kind of have to move forward and not get stuck behind somebody because they can make your life hell sitting behind them. I just think it’s moments in time where you get more aggressive than others, where early in the race you might not do that, but it just depends. As a driver, that’s what you’re weighing in the moment and it can also say, hey, if you’re working a guy over for 20-30 laps and there’s a group behind you that’s catching you, I’ve got to go. I can’t risk losing two or three spots because you’re holding me up and I’ve played nice for 30 laps. I’ve kind of got to get moving, so it’s all situational to me of what time it is in the race, or what position you’re in front and back.
– Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Driver
Adjusting to Track and Tire Variables
With Martinsville’s unique concrete surface and evolving tire strategy, Blaney has developed techniques to adapt his driving each weekend. Mastery of “wrapping the curve” along the inside curb is a style he finds effective, but he acknowledged winning has been achieved with different approaches, depending on car handling and conditions.
Yeah, I think it varies. I’ve seen races won here kind of like a big diamond in the middle of the corner, entering on the curb and fading up and then coming down the racetrack and exiting low. I’ve seen second lane dominance here win the race. I’ve seen curb wrapping win the race. I think each driver just has their own style of how they approach it and I have just always approached it that way of kind of trying to carry a ton of speed right along the curb. I feel like I’m at my best when I can do that because I’m comfortable doing that. I always look for my car to be able to do that, so, yeah, I think it’s just driver preference and then what will your car do. What does your car do the best and how do you kind of get the most out of it in that case.
– Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Driver
As Goodyear introduces new tire compounds aimed at increasing wear, Blaney remains cautious in his assessment before gaining practice experience. Weather conditions can also limit rubber buildup, making qualifying and strategy more complex. Blaney admitted qualifying at Martinsville has traditionally presented a challenge, with the mental shift from race pace to single-lap speed proving difficult. Starting position is valuable for pit selection and avoiding mid-pack incidents, but recent races have shown that winners can emerge from deeper in the field.
I’ll be the first to tell you, I suck at qualifying here. I’ve just never been able to qualify well for whatever reason. It’s two very different mindsets – race pace to qualifying pace. Lines, just kind of how you approach everything and I easily get stuck in the race pace line driving mode through practice because that’s what I’m thinking about, and then going out and qualifying it’s like the complete opposite. It’s a complete 180 from what you’ve just done for the last 70 laps in practice. Some guys can carry it over quick. To me, I struggle a little bit more and to kind of flip it onto the qualifying mode here, just because it’s so different, but it’s something you work on. You try your best. I don’t enjoy qualifying 15th or 20th when I come here, so hopefully that can change today, but, yeah, it’s a tough one for sure. I’d say this is the toughest place, and I’d say here and Darlington, are the toughest places to go from practice to qualifying, just from a driver mindset, strategy of how you attack the corner and things like that – completely different lines and lanes – so I’d say it’s important, for sure, a good pit stall and start you ahead of the mess a little bit, but we’ll see what happens. I hope I can qualify OK today. We’ll see.
– Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Driver
Momentum, Confidence, and the Playoff Format
Blaney acknowledges the role of momentum and confidence following a playoff win at Martinsville, noting how it can impact a team’s mindset entering the final championship race. Repeating prior success at the track not only enhances a driver’s own belief but also affects how competitors perceive and approach him. Confidence gained from a strong performance can shape the final week’s preparation and outlook.
When we were able to win this race in ‘23, we carried a bunch of confidence over that week. I felt like we were in a great mindset and doing it last year. I feel like we had the same mindset of I’m a big believer in momentum and confidence and things like that, and it can change your outlook on things. It’s just how you open your eyes in the morning. If you’re confident, it changes your outlook on the day ahead of you. It was definitely a big factor in us winning in ‘23. It was a big factor in us contending last year and almost getting it done again, so I’ve been fortunate to be part of two of those, winning Martinsville and going to Phoenix. And everyone remembers the most recent winner, not only the outside world, but your competitors. They remember who won last week and who is looking good, so it’s a big confidence boost and hopefully we can be in that position. We’ve got to get the job done tomorrow to have that week.
– Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Driver
Both Blaney and Logano reflected on what separates playoff races, with Blaney emphasizing how Martinsville’s identity as a cutoff race adds a layer of unpredictability and action. It matches other dramatic playoff venues, such as Talladega, in its ability to generate excitement and chaos, defining this pivotal week of the NASCAR postseason.
I think each one has its own little element to it. Talladega has all of the wild cards just from the wrecks and the way drafting tracks work, so that deserves to get all of the buzz around it, and then this one it’s Martinsville. No matter if it’s a cutoff race, a playoff race or not, there’s always gonna be a lot of action here. It just comes with the size of the racetrack and what goes on for those laps, but I think both of them are very, very exciting and important in their own respective ways. You talk about two completely different racetracks. They all have their unique pieces to them and I think this weekend, this race, knowing it’s a cutoff race and Martinsville is just as exciting as Talladega and unpredictable in a way. It’s just a little bit different.
– Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Driver
Strategies for High-Stress Scenarios
Preparation methods vary for each driver. Logano described his detail-oriented approach, preferring to know everything about his car and setup, while noting that other drivers might deliberately avoid technical specifics in favor of focusing exclusively on driving. This tailored preparation is part of what keeps both drivers at the top tier of competition.
It probably depends on what part of the week you want to talk about. I think everybody probably does it a little bit different – what works for you or your team and those type of things. Some drivers are different. Some drivers don’t want to know what’s in their car or really care about it. They just want to focus on the driving part. Every team is different. Every driver is different, so I can’t speculate on what anybody else is doing. I know, for me, I just want to know everything that’s going on. That’s why when you hear Coleman on the radio he’s constantly talking. A lot of drivers hate that. I love it. I want to know everything, so you can imagine if that’s how I am in the race, imagine what I’m like before the race. I just want to know everything that’s going on. It’s everything. To answer your question, D, all of the above.
– Joey Logano, Team Penske Driver
Ethical considerations also factor into decisions made during desperate moments. Logano spoke about the moral dilemmas that arise when deciding how aggressive to be for a chance at the Championship 4, noting that while some contact is part of short-track racing, there are limits he is personally unwilling to cross.
That’s a hard place to be because we’ve seen so many times desperate people do desperate things and what are you willing to do and can you justify that in your mind somehow. It’s tough because it’s a true test of your morals, if I’m being honest. There are times you’re just like, ‘Is this the right thing to do or not?’ And to your point, you kind of have to think about that stuff beforehand. Also, every action has a reaction and most likely depending on what you do to get in, you’ve still got to race next week. I’ve said it before, you may get in the Championship 4, but don’t win it doesn’t mean anything. It’s nice to say you got there, but you didn’t win, you don’t get the trophy, does it really matter? Not really. So, you kind of have to think more than just the race ahead of you. There’s gonna be a race next week. The same drivers will be out there. The same cars. You’ve got to think about all that stuff. It’s still a hard place to be. It’s a very challenging place to put us and I’m not saying I’ve done the right thing every time, but I can’t really think of things in my mind that I look back at and go, ‘Gosh, that was the wrong play.’ I haven’t done nothing that I can say that I feel like personally, and probably others will disagree, but, to me, a bump and run in turn three to make it to the Championship 4 is fine. Completely wiping him out and dumping him and backing him into the fence? Probably too far. That’s my opinion. Everyone is gonna have a different one.
– Joey Logano, Team Penske Driver
Road to the Final: Only a Win Will Do
With both Team Penske drivers required to outpace strong competitors—including the Hendrick group and top teams who have also thrived at Martinsville—the race represents a heavy test of resolve, skill, and preparation. Multiple variables, including tire performance, shifting track conditions, and in-race strategies, could prove decisive as the field fights for four available championship spots.
No. I never know. The beauty about racing against the same people every week is you kind of can get their tendencies a little bit, but I’ve tried to learn to not rely too much on other people’s tendencies because you never know what they’re thinking in that time or what position that they’re in, so you have to kind of be ready for everything, to be honest with you. Like I said earlier, I expect it to be a great race. I really do think it’s gonna be a fantastic race. You’ve got multiple things going on that we’re gonna be having to watch out for, like on TV people watching. In my mind, my job is just to win the race. I don’t have to worry about points or anything. I don’t want to be in this position like Macho Man says, I’m unjustifiably in a position I’d rather not be in. People are capable of anything and I don’t think just racing around the same guys every week or these eight guys you can’t really rely on what they’ve done in the past or their tendencies just because it can all change very quickly.
– Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Driver
Blaney is familiar with the necessity of giving maximum effort and encouraging his team to do the same. He stressed the importance of focusing on the present, letting go of previous setbacks, and ensuring the entire 12 group brings their best to this critical race.
You just understand what needs to be done this weekend. You can’t control anything that happened last week. It’s in the past. It’s done. It’s how do we go into this weekend, we know what we have to do and just go try to be 100 percent of what this 12 group can be, and I’d say that’s all I’ve ever asked of people in our group is just give your best effort through the week, through the weekend. Just put up all of yourself and if it’s enough, that’s awesome, and we were able to do it. If not, at least you did everything you could and nothing was left on the table, and you hold your heads high, win or lose. That’s just the way I approach it. That’s the way this whole group approaches it and you just give it your all no matter the outcome. One outcome is obviously better than the other, but if you gave everything you had, you can still be proud of your effort. It’s pretty easy to get in these modes. It’s just a weekend where you have to go perform. We perform every weekend and it’s just how good can you perform compared to others this weekend, so I guess that’s how we approach this week leading up to this event.
– Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Driver
The Significance of Martinsville for the Championship
The Team Penske drivers’ situation underscores the high-pressure, all-or-nothing nature of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. With Ryan Blaney’s Martinsville Playoff Performance looming as a make-or-break test, only sustained focus, determination, and effective strategy will offer a path into the Championship 4. The coming race at Martinsville is set to deliver drama and excitement as two talented drivers try to capitalize on their experience and momentum at one of NASCAR’s most demanding venues, while Blaney’s ability to execute under pressure will be central to his hopes for advancing to contend for the title in Phoenix.
