Hendrick Motorsports may have set the early tone, but Team Penske is charging into the playoffs with momentum and grit. With wins from  Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, and Ryan Blaney, Penske isn’t just keeping pace, they’re setting their own. As the postseason begins, all eyes turn to how Roger Penske’s camp plans to counter Hendrick’s dominance. Crew chief Jonathan Hassler has a sharp take, and it’s not what you’d expect.

Both teams have been trading blows all season long. Hendrick set the early tone with big wins from William Byron and Kyle Larson, showing raw speed at places like Darlington and Bristol. Even when they didn’t win, their dominance at the front made it clear who the benchmark was.

Now, with the playoffs starting on tracks that have favored both camps, the stage is set for a true heavyweight showdown between Roger Penske’s Fords and Rick Hendrick’s Chevrolets.

Penske crew chief isn’t playing Hendrick’s game

When asked about Hendrick’s dominance at Darlington and Bristol, Jonathan Hassler didn’t take the bait. The Roger Penske crew chief for Ryan Blaney stressed that Penske isn’t framing the playoffs as a duel with one team. Instead, he noted their mindset is broader, “we’re racing the whole field.” To Hassler, the true challenge isn’t chasing Hendrick’s pace; it’s ensuring Penske finds gains every week and executes flawlessly.

Pressed on Hendrick’s strength, Hassler doubled down. “That really doesn’t change how we focus on the race,” he said, noting that Hendrick’s dominance doesn’t rattle their process. For him, Penske’s mission is to “make sure that we’re improving week in and week out,” no matter who led laps last time around. In other words, the team acknowledges Hendrick’s speed but refuses to be defined by it choosing steady growth over reactionary moves.

Even so, Hassler admits the team is always studying the field. “Maybe we’ll study some things about those cars. You know, that’s something that we’re always doing is studying the whole field, but certainly doesn’t change our focus a whole lot.” They’re sharpening strategy at Gateway and beyond, while refusing to let one rival dictate their path to glory.

This season’s NASCAR Cup Playoffs feature four Hendrick Motorsports drivers: Kyle Larson, William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Alex Bowman and three from Team Penske: Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Austin Cindric. At Richmond Raceway in the Cook Out 400, Penske’s trio put on a statement performance.

Blaney crossed the line 3rd, Logano was 4th, and Cindric brought home 5th, a clean sweep of top-five finishes for the team. Meanwhile, Hendrick contenders fell slightly behind: Larson finished 6th, and Byron was further back in 12th. As the playoffs loom, it’s clear Penske enters with momentum on their side.

Blaney’s Daytona snatch keeps Bowman alive in the playoff game

Ryan Blaney’s last-lap surge at Daytona didn’t just deliver a highlight-reel win, it saved a career’s worth of effort for Alex Bowman. Locked into a must-win-or-bust scenario, Bowman had crashed out early and watched closely as every contender behind Blaney hoped to snatch the final playoff berth.

Blaney muscled his way from 13th to the front in the final laps, edging Daniel Suárez by just 0.031 seconds, a move that knocked out every driver chasing that win, preserving Bowman’s spot in the playoffs.

Entering the regular-season finale, Bowman held the 16th and final provisional spot, 60 points ahead of Chris Buescher. His only hope to get ousted was if a non-playoff driver won the race and that’s precisely what Blaney prevented.

Bowman crashed on Lap 27 in a multi-car wreck at Daytona, then relied on the outcome to fall in his favor. Blaney’s triumph not only locked in Bowman’s berth it vaulted Blaney to second in the regular-season standings, earning a bonus of 10 playoff points for the playoffs ahead.

Team Penske’s resilience and Ryan Blaney’s Daytona heroics have reshaped the playoff landscape, giving Penske momentum while unexpectedly keeping Alex Bowman’s hopes alive. With Hendrick Motorsports still carrying star power and Penske hitting its stride, the postseason is set up as a battle of execution, grit, and seizing every opportunity on the road to the championship.