When it comes to the NASCAR Cup Series championship, Team Penske is undefeated in the era of the Next Gen race car, which debuted in NASCAR’s top division in 2022.
Joey Logano won his second championship that year and added another in 2024, thanks in part to a reprieve that resulted from Alex Bowman’s disqualification at the Charlotte ROVAL in the Round of 12.
Blaney won the 2023 title and finished second to Logano last year, when Team Penske wrapped up its third straight championship.
Now it’s time to try for a fourth, and with Austin Cindric qualifying for the postseason with his win at Talladega in April, Team Penske has all three of its drivers in the Playoffs. The objective for every Playoff driver is to advance to the Championship 4 Race on Nov. 2 at Phoenix Raceway.
“We’ve got to get there first,” Blaney said Wednesday during Playoff Media Day interviews at the Charlotte Convention Center. “It’s a gauntlet to get there. Everyone thinks it’s easy to get to Phoenix and go win Phoenix.
“You go through nine weeks of hell to get there. It’s tough. But I do think it’s nice to have all three of our cars and the 21 car (Josh Berry of Penske affiliate Wood Brothers Racing) in it. So, it’s just how do we execute week-in and week-out through the rounds? And how do you minimize your mistakes and don’t put yourself in a hole and things like that?”
Blaney won his second race of the season at Daytona last Saturday. He’s one of six drivers who collectively have accounted for 18 victories in 26 regular-season races.
“I’m a believer in momentum and things like that, and in confidence and being in good moods, for everybody on the team,” Blaney said. “I can’t say like, ‘Man, we won at Daytona so we’re going to be so fast at Darlington.’ They’re two different places, right?
“I feel like also what was a great confidence-booster for us is we came into Daytona with the goal of getting to second in regular-season points… We did that, and winning the race was just like the cherry on top, to be honest with you.”