As the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series reaches its final stretch, Team Penske remains a study in contrasts, fast and capable, yet fragile at every turn. Through 21 races, their #12, driven by Ryan Blaney, boasts one win and nine Top-10s, while the #22 of Joey Logano shows similar speed. Blaney entered Brickyard weekend standing ninth in the points battle, still hunting consistent results to reshape momentum. Known for his overtaking ability, he ranks fifth in average driver rating (92.6) and leads all top-15 drivers with a +13.5 pass differential per race. He has proven he is not short on pace or aggression. Only execution or lack thereof has prevented him from challenging last year’s dominating form when he claimed the 2023 NASCAR championship.

Back in 2023, Ryan pounced on nearly every opportunity. He secured multiple marquee wins, including the Coca-Cola 600 and Martinsville playoff races, before sealing the title with a runner-up finish at Phoenix. His consistency, with 14 or more top-10s and laps led numbering in the thousands, became the benchmark for Team Penske’s success. In contrast, this year’s campaign has been marred by four DNFs and inconsistent finishes, including two results outside the top 20 at Homestead and Dover. The No. 12 car frequently has shown competitive speeds, but so far in 2025, they’ve been riding a back luck. And this continued in Roger Penske’s home turf at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Ryan Blaney’s costly mistake mirrors Team Penske’s 2025 struggles

In a pivotal moment during the 2025 Brickyard 400, Blaney found himself facing a costly penalty after entering pit road while it was officially closed. The penalty, confirmed by NASCAR race control, forced Blaney to restart at the tail end of the longest line, a strategic blow in a race where every second counts. Footage from the race broadcast and on-board cameras shows Blaney veering toward the pit entry while the pit road light panel remained visibly red.

Blaney also won Stage 2 before the penalty hit at his home track. The penalty adds another layer of frustration in a season that has been anything but smooth for the Team Penske driver. Entering the Brickyard weekend, Blaney was 9th in the standings and looking for momentum heading into the playoffs. Despite showing speed in the early stages of the race, the penalty neutralized any potential advantage, forcing the #12 to claw back positions under green-flag conditions.

By the time the final stage rolled around, Blaney had climbed to 4th on the board, still fighting to regain lost ground after the penalty. His team had to press hard under green-flag conditions, consuming time and track position that could’ve been used to manage lapped traffic or look for a stage win. Meanwhile, Logano sat in 6th, nearby but not in a position to carry Team Penske if Blaney couldn’t recover enough. As the playoff picture tightens, Blaney’s crew will need to regroup quickly and eliminate such errors if they hope to stay championship-relevant through the final stretch of the season.

It has been a bad day overall for the Team Penske camp. Austin Cindric, who held the charge and set the pace early in the race, suffered a flat tire and lost his lead. Then came Joey Logano, and his team made a bold pit strategy that allowed him to leapfrog the Hendrick Motorsports Chevys to the lead. With just 25 laps to go, it looked like Paul Wolfe’s gamble paid off, but just like Cindric, the No. 22 Ford Mustang’s tire failed, and once again, a Penske driver had to forfeit the race lead due to tire issues.

Ryan Blaney opens up about career longevity

Driver perseverance is a defining theme in NASCAR today, with veterans like Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano showing no signs of slowing down. Hamlin, in particular, continues to lead with four wins at Dover this season at age 44, defying the norms of athletic decline. Logano, 35, has also said he is “not stepping away anytime soon,” citing his continued love for the sport. These milestones have inevitably prompted younger drivers to assess their own long-term paths.

In an interview with Fornstretch, Blaney praised Hamlin’s resilience, saying he watches him every weekend “to gauge his speed,” calling him “one of the greats.” Yet when asked if he sees himself racing into his 40s like Hamlin, Blaney responded honestly: “I don’t know.” He added, “If I get around, you know, my 40s and I have to ask myself questions like… do you still love it? That’s the one thing. Are you still giving a hundred percent of your effort towards it?”

He emphasized that staying competitive isn’t just about age, but about passion and effort: “If you can’t give your best, then it would be time to think about not doing it anymore.” While the Penske star isn’t making any concrete plans yet, he acknowledged, “I’ve got a decent amount of years before I even start thinking about that, and it’s already competitive.” For Blaney, admiration for Hamlin doesn’t automatically translate into replicating his career arc, but it is a personal decision driven by love for racing, not just for legacy.