It’s often said that NASCAR crew chiefs serve as the eyes and ears of their drivers. But for Ryan Blaney, his relationship with Jonathan Hassler goes well beyond that. Both of them share a close, “on the same wavelength” partnership built on similar, easy-going personalities and mutual trust, leading to a 2023 Cup Series championship. The duo first teamed up in 2022, and according to Blaney, their partnership has clicked perfectly ever since.

Ryan Blaney reflects on his relationship with Jonathan Hassler

Blaney has been a Penske driver since 2018, but his success was seemingly limited. But with Hassler joining him in 2022, they have managed to amplify his overall performance.

“I couldn’t ask for anybody else,” Ryan Blaney admitted while appearing on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast. “He’s such a hard worker, an incredibly smart human being, and is just becoming what he already is, but I feel like every single day he becomes more and more of an amazing leader as well.”

For context, Jonathan Hassler worked extensively in the NOAP Series (called the Xfinity Series then) for half a decade before earning a promotion to the Cup Series.

He then worked with the likes of Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Joey Logano as an engineer, getting his first role as a crew chief in 2021 with Wood Brothers Racing (it was aligned with Penske).

The following year, he moved to Team Penske to begin working with Ryan Blaney, replacing Todd Gordon after his retirement.

It is always very important for drivers to have a good relationship with their crew chiefs because of how essential communication can be. This is exactly what Blaney has achieved now with Hassler in their fifth year of working together.

“I’m really lucky to be surrounded by great people, and Jonathan’s at the pinnacle of it. It’s been a lot of fun with him, and I couldn’t ask for anybody else,” he added.

Ryan Blaney became the second race winner of the 2026 Cup Series season after clinching the victory at the Phoenix Raceway. The track is known to work well for Penske, and Blaney’s strong communication with Hassler helped them to put a stop to Tyler Reddick’s winning streak.

How the No. 12 team’s quick learning on the track helped them achieve the win

Towards the end, it seemed a given that Christopher Bell was set to win the race. In fact, he also went on to mention that he would’ve won the race if he had a few more green-flagged laps. However, a small strategic play from the Blaney-Hassler crew helped them get the lead.

The rapidly failing tires on the track saw some drivers pit for only two tires in the middle of the race. The #12 crew picked up on this and did the same for Ryan Blaney when he came in towards the end.

“It was pretty easy for us, kind of being behind, to choose to do two tires there,” Jonathan Hassler said. “Our bed was kind of made, and fortunately, it all worked out.”

This, undoubtedly, gave them an upper hand on the competition.

Once again, Hassler’s quick thinking proved why he fits so well with Ryan Blaney. Although this is only their first race win of the season, the Chase format will allow Blaney enough opportunities to fight for the title, as long as he delivers consistent performances.