Ryan Blaney explains how Team Penske approaches teamwork, controlling NASCAR Cup races

Atlanta started out great for Ryan Blaney and his Team Penske teammates. Then, in the blink of an eye, they were all DNFs. But the first stint of this race was dominated by Penske and Josh Berry from the Wood Brothers. And that isn’t a coincidence.

I would say since late 2023, Team Penske has made itself the team to beat on superspeedways in the Cup Series. That includes qualifying and the race. You could extend that to Front Row Motorsports ever since they formed an alliance with Penske.

They bring fast cars. Ford is already dominant at these tracks as it is. Whatever Penske is doing to start up front, get great pit road position, and race up front has worked.

Ryan Blaney was on Door Bumper Clear this week, and he was asked about Penske’s superspeedway strategy. The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion pointed to the preparation the organization puts in.

“We talk about that a lot. Like, we really discuss between the drivers and spotters. So, like Sunday morning, we have a meeting with all the spotters, all the drivers, all the crew chiefs, all the comp directors,” Blaney explained. “For us, it was like, really, ‘Okay, we’re starting top four, how are we going to start this race to try to control it, because I think our cars are fast enough.’ Hopefully, they handle well enough to make sure we can control everything. So, we put a huge emphasis on it.

“It’s honestly hard, like, especially there with four guys to try to line everything up. It’s a little bit easier at like Daytona, Talladega, I feel like, because you’re just kind of sitting in a line. But yeah, we put a huge effort into supporting each other when we can. I think that’s what makes us super strong on superspeedways, is we’re always kind of there for each other. At least, you try to be.”

Ryan Blaney has won at Talladega in the Next Gen car. Joey Logano has two wins at Atlanta in this car. Austin Cindric has won the Daytona 500 and won at Talladega this season. Last year, Harrison Burton and the Wood Brothers won at Daytona in the summer. Team Penske knows how to win these races.

When there is so much luck involved, like a superspeedway, preparation is what separates teams. It is no surprise that Penske prepares so well before these races. Blaney and his teammates know what the task is ahead of them, no matter the in-race situation. So, when they survive and find themselves in position to win, everyone knows what to do.