RIDGEWAY, Va. – Team Penske has claimed the last three Cup Series championships, but that illustrious streak could come to a screeching halt with both Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney well below the Championship 4 cut line as they roll into Martinsville Speedway.
“We’re not in the spot we want to be in, but there’s still a chance, right? We’re not out yet.”
The Paperclip has been known to provide a big boost to the fall winner as of late, notably for Blaney. He won back-to-back playoff races here, leading to a championship win in 2023.
“I’m a big believer in momentum and confidence and things like that, and it can change your outlook on things. Just how you open your eyes in the morning, you know — if you’re confident, it changes your outlook on the day ahead of you," Blaney said. “So yeah, it was definitely a big, big factor in us winning ’23. It was a big factor in us contending last year and almost getting it done again.”
As the driver of the 12 car seeks a three-peat Sunday, Logano is looking to shift gears and position himself to simply defend his title in Phoenix. Despite 11 top-five finishes here, he tells me he won’t sleep any easier tonight.
“This round of the playoffs, like, everybody’s good, right? Like, I mean, that’s what it’s all about,” said Logano. “That’s what it’s supposed to be. You get the most solid teams in the Round of 8, and, you know, it’s a heavyweight fight.”
While there’s a lot of pressure on these Team Penske drivers, there’s some pressure on some Hendrick guys as well. The likes of Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, they too are below that cut line, but have also had lots of success here at Martinsville.