Team Penske championship hopes face their toughest challenge yet as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Martinsville Speedway this Sunday, with both Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney requiring a victory to secure a spot in the Championship 4. The defending champions, who have thrived during the Next Gen era, must now overcome a daunting points deficit in the Xfinity 500 as they aim to keep their title aspirations alive in Martinsville, Va.
Penske on Brink of Elimination in Tight Playoff Battle
For the first time since 2021, the possibility looms of Team Penske missing out on the season finale race to decide the championship. The team has won every NASCAR Cup Series championship since the introduction of the Next Gen car, but their stronghold is under serious threat. Joey Logano sits 38 points below the cutline, and Ryan Blaney is even further behind with a 47-point deficit. Both drivers are in a clear must-win situation as they prepare for the 500-lap race at the historic Martinsville Speedway, a critical showdown set to air on NBC, Peacock, HBO Max, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
As title winners and seasoned veterans, Logano and Blaney enter Martinsville wholly focused on their immediate objective. The pressure of the moment is palpable, knowing that one race will determine whether their championship run continues or comes to an abrupt end. The stakes could not be higher for Team Penske, Ford, and their supporters, with legacies on the line in the latest chapter of the NASCAR playoffs.
Blaney and Logano Face Must-Win Scenario
Ryan Blaney, having previously clinched his Championship 4 spot with wins in the last two fall Martinsville events, is concentrating on giving his absolute best alongside his No. 12 group. He emphasized the need to move past setbacks and focus fully on Sunday:
“You just have to understand what needs to be done this weekend,”
Ryan Blaney, Driver.
“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% 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 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 know you did everything you could and nothing was left on the table, and you hold your heads high, win or lose.”
Ryan Blaney, Driver
The pressure on Sunday is undeniable, especially for Joey Logano, the reigning Cup Series champion. Logano is aware of the high stakes but is using that urgency to motivate himself and his team instead of letting it become a distraction:
“It affects some people negatively, sure,”
Joey Logano, Driver.
“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 gives me a little extra motivation. It’s a little fire, right? Those things are all good things. Some people might overdo it. Some people might do it to where they make mistakes. You 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. I mean, that’s why I always say I love this format so much because it puts everyone in this crazy, really challenging position.”
Joey Logano, Driver
Track Record Creates Expectations, But Success is Never Guaranteed
Blaney’s record at Martinsville makes the No. 12 team a favorite going into this decisive Round of 8 race, yet both Blaney and his crew chief, Jonathan Hassler, stress that previous success does not guarantee another win. The playoff pressure is relentless, and every race demands fresh focus and precise execution:
“I agree entirely with what Ryan says about that,”
Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief.
“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, have a good car, and make sure we’re in the picture at the end of the race.”
Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief
“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.”
Jonathan Hassler, Crew Chief
Blaney echoed the importance of learning from past experiences at the historic short track, pointing out the unique feel and adjustments he craves during practice to be competitive:
“Just a lot of previous notes (and) history,”
Ryan Blaney, Driver.
“I just try to have that feel. And hey, if I’m this way in practice, I 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. I need double what I think I need at the time. So a lot of track history and experience definitely helps that out, and you hope you hit it right.”
Ryan Blaney, Driver
Data Sharing and Teamwork Key in the Penske Garage
Among NASCAR teams, few match Team Penske’s reputation for internal transparency and collaboration. The flow of data and technical insights among the teams of Blaney, Logano, Austin Cindric, and even Wood Brothers Racing‘s Josh Berry eliminates setup secrets within the organization. While Logano has earned one Martinsville victory, his remarkable consistency is highlighted by his streak of twelve consecutive top-10 finishes at the short track. As he chases another shot at the championship, Logano seeks to adopt some of Blaney’s advantageous traits at Martinsville:
“The majority of the last 10 races here or so have been really solid,”
Joey Logano, Driver.
“So yeah, we naturally look at that and say, ‘OK, what can I apply as a driver?’ Obviously, we see setup stuff of what they’re doing and those type of things, but yeah, he’s got a couple traits that are pretty apparent that he’s really good at. And trying to fight your natural instincts to drive like someone, that’s hard to do, right? I mean, it’s asking a basketball player to shoot a different style, right? Like, this is how I do it. I’ve done this for years. And now you’ve got to try something different.”
Joey Logano, Driver
“That’s hard to do, but it doesn’t mean you can’t do it. It’s just that you’ve got to try to buy into it, understand why and try to apply certain things like that.”
Joey Logano, Driver
Penske Drivers Seek Speed in Challenging Practice Sessions
Preparation and adaptability are crucial as the team heads into one of the most important races of the season. During practice, Logano posted the 30th-fastest lap, while Blaney was 31st. Both drivers, however, displayed stronger long-run pace in 30-consecutive-lap averages, with Blaney ranking 12th and Logano 14th out of the 25 drivers who completed such efforts.
“I think it had decent short-run speed. Our long-run speed was a little off,”
Joey Logano, Driver.
“I think we can dial that in and get a little bit closer, but I think we’re in the game here.”
Joey Logano, Driver
Adjustments are ongoing, and a key variable this weekend is Goodyear’s softer left-side tire, which adds a new element to the strategy for Sunday’s 500-lap contest. Blaney is mindful of how this aspect could influence both pace and tire conservation:
“I feel like left-rear conservation is going to be a really big deal (Sunday),”
Ryan Blaney, Driver.
“I know a lot of guys were kind of killing left-rear tires and things like that. That’s good, though, with fall-off and things like that. We’ll see how it is tomorrow. But I feel like I’m decent speed-wise. I feel like we can really work on the car in a good direction to get better and be a little bit more in the game.”
Ryan Blaney, Driver
Starting Positions and Final Preparations for the Xfinity 500
In the final rundown ahead of Sunday’s high-stakes race, Logano will start from the fourth position, placing him in a stronger spot to attack early, while Blaney will need to make significant moves from 31st on the grid. Both are aware that every lap will matter as they attempt to fight their way into championship contention, with pivotal decisions awaiting both drivers and their entire teams during the 500 circuits at Martinsville.
This race stands as a critical test for Team Penske and its star drivers, with the outcome at Martinsville Speedway likely to have lasting implications for the entire organization. A win for either Joey Logano or Ryan Blaney would keep Team Penske championship hopes alive and extend their legacy in the NASCAR Cup Series, while anything less would mark the end of an era defined by playoff success. The motorsport world will be watching as the pressure and intensity of the playoffs reaches its peak on Sunday afternoon in Virginia.
