Ryan Blaney has momentum on his side in search for first Cup championship
Ryan Blaney had kept falling short in trying to advance out of NASCAR's version of a semifinal round of its playoffs.
He had been eliminated in the Round of 8 in 2017.
And 2019.
And 2021.
And 2022.
Blaney finally erased the curse with his win Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, a victory that didn't just advance him to the championship round but advanced him with momentum going to a track where he has thrived in recent visits.
That makes the Team Penske driver a dangerous one Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, where he will tangle with William Byron, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series title.
Blaney doesn't need advice on how to get around the 1-mile track as he tries to finish better than the other three finalists to capture the championship. He has finished second in the last two races there, running behind teammate Joey Logano a year ago and Byron last March.
Logano's victory in 2022 earned him his second Cup title. If there's anything Blaney might need, it's advice on how to handle the championship race and pressure, something that will be not only new for Blaney but his crew chief, Jonathan Hassler, as well.
Logano was eliminated in the opening round this year.
"It's been fun to work with Joey on that since he was out of the playoffs early, kind of working with Joey through that stuff, picking his brain on a few things," Blaney said. "Hopefully it's identical next week [with] what Joey's end of the season was last year."
Ryan Blaney discusses how he has found success at the right time this season
Last year, Logano didn't have the best regular season but excelled in the playoffs, especially over the last four weeks where he won the opening race in the semifinal round, allowing him to focus for three weeks on Phoenix.
Blaney didn't have that luxury as he wasn't locked in until the final lap Sunday at Martinsville.
"We have a bit of a blueprint of what we need to do to go to Phoenix," Hassler said prior to Martinsville. "We've certainly started to kind of put that plan in motion. It's how all the teams kind of work together — it's one of the few races during the year that we have the opportunity to go practice [and then make adjustments overnight].
"How you collect that last little bit of information in that practice session and make sure it applies to the team racing for the championship is certainly what we're focused on."
Hassler has no concerns about his driver being able to handle the pressure even though Blaney made mistakes last year in the semifinal round.
"I'm honestly not worried about how he's going to be in that environment," Hassler said. "Obviously, Phoenix is a really good track for him. He'll have a lot of confidence.
"As a team, we've definitely shown that we're able to do a good job on pit road. Our cars are going to be fast. I'm certainly not at all worried about the situation and excited about the opportunity."
Ryan Blaney discusses whether or not he is the championship favorite
Hassler probably couldn't say he was excited every week this year. Blaney certainly hasn't been the driver to beat for most of the season.
He won the 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway to lock himself in the playoffs in May. In the next 16 races, he failed to finish in the top-5 in any of them.
But in the last five races heading into Phoenix, Blaney has two wins and a second-place finish to go along with a sixth and a 12th.
"It's no surprise during the summer, we were a little off on speed and this group, they didn't get down, they didn't pout — they just went to work and they figured out what we need to get better," Blaney said.
Blaney said he never felt that they faced an impossible task to make it to Phoenix with a shot at the title.
"There was not a point where I was like, ‘Man, I don't know if we can make it to Phoenix,'" Blaney said. "You always believe in everybody, and you try your best to do what you need to to run better and pick your way through.
"I always think about this sport is like a big circle. Teams are on top, and then they fade a little bit and are on the bottom, and then they get back on top again. ... I hoped we can get back on top of the circle here when the playoffs start and be peaking when it matters. And we're definitely doing that."
Blaney said his team didn't get back on top by itself, that it took the entire Penske organization working to get better.
Full NASCAR Championship Week coverage:
- NASCAR predictions: Will Kyle Larson get title No. 2 or will it be a first-timer?
- Kyle Larson looks to replicate 2021 success in quest for second Cup title
- William Byron can add to North Carolina legacy with Cup championship
- Analyzing the Championship 4: Why each driver will or won't claim Cup Series title
At their competition meeting Monday, Logano and his crew chief, Paul Wolfe, went through what they did to run well at Phoenix that Blaney and Hassler might consider in order to get a tick faster.
"Joey offered up and Paul offered up some, I won't say techniques but advice on how he might consider doing it," Penske vice chairman Walt Czarencki said. "The fact that he's run very well there in the last couple of notwithstanding, he listened, questioned, and they were able to provide that information that he looked for.
"They volunteered it, by the way. ... It made me feel that this truly is a team effort going into the weekend, just like Joey's was last year."
Blaney hopes it's enough to make his first trip to the championship round a trip that ends with a big trophy.
"You're building every year to be a better version of yourself, a better team," Blaney said. "That's something to be proud of with our group. It's nice to finally get to Phoenix to have a shot.
"That's really all you can ask for is a shot. You just want a chance to compete for a championship, and we definitely have that chance."
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass, and sign up for the FOX Sports NASCAR Newsletter with Bob Pockrass.
