Ryan Blaney’s take on Logano’s playoff magic

In an open conversation on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Dale Jr Download, Ryan Blaney has confessed to the ability of his teammate Joey Logano to rise to the occasion at the most opportune times, thereby countering the criticism leveled against the No. 22 team. Blaney stressed, “It’s not a big surprise to me anymore. I’ve been teammates with Joey for long enough that I know and how good he is and how kind of methodical he goes about things,” highlighting the calculated mindset that drives Logano’s success.

This follows the history of three Cup championships in 2018, 2022, and 2024, where he has transformed mediocre regular seasons into championship runs, including his 2024 championship following a last-minute win that got him into the playoffs. Dale Earnhardt Jr. began the discussion by being amazed by the transformation that Logano underwent and how Team Penske raised itself to a new level during the playoffs.

As Dale Jr. noted, “Man, when the playoffs come, y’all get better as an organization, but there is something about… they are so smart at knowing everything to do outside of the car to sort of put themselves in the best position.” This referred to Logano being tested at Loudon earlier this year during a July Goodyear test, a move that gave Team Penske some valuable data which ultimately helped Logano to score the pole in the race. 

“Yeah, they knew Loudon was going to be in the playoffs. And they were early able to take advantage of it,” as Blaney explained, which makes such prep convert potential weaknesses into strengths.

At its core, the relationship between Logano and his crew chief, Paul Wolfe, has produced 14 wins since 2020, and they earned those three titles through quick thinking and acting. Blaney praised their synergy: “I know how great Paul Wolf is, of how he goes about things and how they kind of pick and choose, like, ‘Hey, yeah, we’re going to go do this tire test.'”

Even as outsiders write them off, Blaney shuts down the noise, saying, “It blows my mind, honestly, of people who like the outside world that doubts that duo of like, nah, no, I write them off. Now they’re going to be there, and they’re going to be really, really good.” Dale Jr. echoed the frustration of predicting against them, admitting Logano “spoils all of our ideas,” underscoring a pattern where the team thinks outside the box to excel when the stakes are highest.

With Logano’s playoff run sparking debates, it’s worth hearing what the insiders think about his shot at another title.

Insiders weigh in on Logano’s title odds

As Logano sits sixth in the standings with a decent buffer above the cut line, opinions vary on whether he can chase down a fourth championship. Jordan Bianchi remains skeptical, pointing to inconsistencies despite Logano’s ability to rise.

“I can’t say the same thing about the 22 (Logano). Yes, the 22 figures out how to get things done. They rise to the occasion; I know all of that. But I look at the 12 teams; they are doing it, they have done it, and I think they’re going to continue to do it. I just don’t have the same level of confidence right now in the 22 team as I do the 12 team,” Bianchi noted, favoring Blaney’s No. 12 for its steady momentum.

On the other side, Jeff Gluck of The Athletic believes there is very real danger in the NHMS performance of Logano, who was leading 147 laps. “Joey Logano led a race-high 147 laps today. That is the most laps he’s led in a single race, I believe, since the 2022 championship race. I just think in general, they just hit on it and looked really, really good,” Gluck said, adding that Logano at Phoenix would be “really scary for everybody.” This optimism is due to the playoff grit demonstrated by Logano even though his regular season was unimpressive.

The divide sheds light on the polarizing nature of Logano, who is an underdog to some and a powerhouse to others, into the Round of 12 and into Kansas, where he has prevailed three times previously. Gluck concluded the interest: “I respect why you’re saying the 12-team because they’re more likely to make a deep playoff run, but if Joey Logano was at Phoenix still alive? Whoa, that’s really scary for everybody.” A two-race gap in this round has left the road clear before Logano.