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Ryan Blaney Exposes Team Penske’s Championship Mindset: A Masterclass in NASCAR Playoff Domination

Virgilio Machado by Virgilio Machado
February 8, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Ryan Blaney Exposes Team Penske’s Championship Mindset: A Masterclass in NASCAR Playoff Domination

Nov 22, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) during the NASCAR Awards Banquet at Charlotte Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

🔹 No driver had ever made the Championship 4 from 47 points below the cut-line… until Ryan Blaney did it in 2024.
🔹 Penske thrives under pressure, delivering clutch performances when it matters most.
🔹 But is this calculated brilliance or just the unpredictability of the NASCAR playoff system?


The Penske Phenomenon: Saving the Best for Last?

Ryan Blaney’s miraculous 2024 playoff run wasn’t just a fluke—it was a testament to Team Penske’s ability to peak at the perfect time.

With two races left before Phoenix, Blaney was buried 47 points below the cut-line, staring at what seemed like impossible odds. But the No. 12 team flipped the script, finishing 2nd or higher in the next three races, including a dominant Martinsville win that sealed his Championship 4 berth.

And it wasn’t just Blaney. Joey Logano turned into a wrecking ball in the playoffs, winning three races, while Penske drivers stacked seven podiums during the final stretch.

So… is Penske intentionally holding back during the regular season to go full-throttle when it counts?


Blaney Breaks It Down: “We Don’t Plan It That Way”

When asked about Penske’s trend of turning up the heat late in the season, Blaney insisted it’s not deliberate.

“Yeah, it’s not like we plan on doing that. We want to win every week… Maybe we don’t get started off the best that we want to be, we’re a little behind, and we get to where we want to be. That’s the way that motorsports is, that’s the way sports are.”

Penske’s 2024 season was a textbook example of this rollercoaster.

🚨 June 2: Austin Cindric wins at Gateway (Penske’s first win of the season, 15 races in).
🚨 June 16: Ryan Blaney wins at Iowa.
🚨 June 30: Joey Logano wins at Nashville in quintuple overtime.

Once they started winning, they never stopped.


Why Penske’s Method Works—And Why JGR’s Didn’t

Blaney acknowledges that consistency is the goal, but cooling off before the playoffs is worse than a slow start.

“I’d rather be that way than cool off through the year. I think it just shows the determination of this group. Even if you’re not where you want to be early, we’re going to get there.”

He wasn’t wrong. While Penske surged, Joe Gibbs Racing imploded.

📉 By March, JGR had two wins (Bell, Hamlin).
📉 By April, Hamlin had two more, and JGR looked unstoppable.
📉 Then? Silence.

When Christopher Bell won at New Hampshire in June, JGR was cruising. But after that? Zero wins. Not one of their drivers made the Championship 4 for the first time in the playoff era.

It was a brutal lesson in timing. Penske had momentum at the right time, while JGR peaked too soon.


Playoff System or Pure Skill?

Is Team Penske’s late-season dominance a strategic masterpiece or just an exploit of the playoff format?

✅ The playoff system rewards drivers who deliver under pressure.
✅ Penske drivers have the mental toughness to execute in crunch time.
✅ JGR’s early-season dominance meant nothing when it mattered most.

NASCAR is a sport of fine margins, and Penske has cracked the code.


Final Thoughts: Can Blaney and Penske Repeat in 2025?

🔥 Ryan Blaney’s Cinderella run in 2024 proved that anything is possible in NASCAR’s high-stakes playoff format.
🔥 Team Penske’s ability to rise to the occasion is unmatched—but can they sustain that magic over a full season?
🔥 JGR will be desperate for redemption. Can they fix their late-season struggles and stop Penske’s playoff dominance?

💬 What do you think? Is Penske’s late-season magic a calculated strategy or just how the playoffs shake out? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

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