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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Brickyard 400 Qualifying Jul 20, 2024 Indianapolis, Indiana, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney 12 and team owner Roger Penske talk during qualifying for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indianapolis Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indiana USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMikexDinovox 20240720_mcd_ad4_9
Imago
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Brickyard 400 Qualifying Jul 20, 2024 Indianapolis, Indiana, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney 12 and team owner Roger Penske talk during qualifying for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indianapolis Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indiana USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMikexDinovox 20240720_mcd_ad4_9
Starting from the pole at the Food City 500 NASCAR race, Ryan Blaney looked locked in from the very beginning at Bristol Motor Speedway. He stayed near the front all race long, finishing third in Stage 1 and climbing to second in Stage 2, showing race-winning pace. But just when it seemed like everything was falling into place, one costly moment on pit road changed the entire complexion of his day and sparked a frustrated reaction over the radio.
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Blaney’s pit road frustration boils over in Bristol NASCAR race
“Clean it up, guys. We cannot lose five spots every time we come down pit road. C’mon.”
That was Ryan Blaney over the radio during the Food City 500, and the frustration was impossible to miss.
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A member of his team quickly responded, “Alright. Good news is 244 to go.”
Ryan Blaney after losing five spots on pit road:
“Clean. It. Up, guys. We cannot lose five spots every time we come down pit road. C’mon.”
“Alright. Good news is 244 to go.”
“Yeah, 10-4, but you understand what I’m getting at here. Lose five spots with the best pit stall.”
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) April 12, 2026
Ryan Blaney fired back, “Yeah, 10-4, but you understand what I’m getting at here. Lose five spots with the best pit stall.”
Trying to calm things down, spotter Tim Fedewa added, “Keep doing what you’re doing, and we will be OK.”
The tension came after a costly moment on Lap 255 during a caution in this NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Running second with a real shot at controlling the race, Blaney’s crew struggled on the left rear tire change. The delay dropped him from second to seventh on a track where track position is everything.
Unfortunately, as you might be aware, this wasn’t a one-off issue in 2026 for Ryan Blaney.
Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske crew has been among the lowest-ranked pit units this season. Despite strong pace on track, repeated slow stops and mistakes have consistently put him on the back foot. At Phoenix Raceway, loose wheel concerns disrupted his race, and at Darlington Raceway, things unraveled again.
If you remember, at Darlington, Blaney climbed from seventh to third by the end of Stage 1 before radioing, “I think I have a loose wheel, left rear.” The team had to bring him back down pit road for a fix in teammate Austin Cindric’s stall, costing valuable time and forcing him to restart Stage 2 in 20th.
Now, at the Bristol NASCAR race, history repeated itself. For a driver running at the front in nearly every NASCAR race this season, it’s not speed holding him back, but what happens when he hits pit road.
Blaney backs his team despite pit road criticism
“[Ryan Blaney’s pit crew] hasn’t been great from a speed start speed on pit road this year. Their ranking has been awful,” Kevin Harvick said after Martinsville, and that criticism carried weight across the garage.
But instead of letting it spiral, Ryan Blaney responded with something far more measured.
“We didn’t want to make any changes, like we wanted those guys to just keep working on it and keep doing what you’re doing. And let’s just try to refine it because I think they have potential to be one of the best crews on pit road. It’s just a matter of refining everything they’re doing and just kind of straighten some things out, so I’m proud of the effort they made.”
That wasn’t frustration, but belief in the team from a mature NASCAR driver.
Rather than hitting the panic button mid-season, Team Penske chose patience. No major shakeups, no personnel swaps, but just a commitment to improving chemistry. Pit road success isn’t just about speed. It involves rhythm, communication, and trust under pressure, too, and those are things that take time to build. Crew chief Jonathan Hassler recently shared on SiriusXM NASCAR that they’re sticking with a relatively green group, especially the jackman, the “quarterback” who simply needs more reps.
At Martinsville Speedway, that approach finally showed results. The No. 12 crew delivered one of its cleanest NASCAR race performances of the season, executing stops without the costly mistakes that had defined earlier weeks. And it’s not like the talent isn’t there. With crew chief Jonathan Hassler leading the group, alongside jackman Landon Honeycutt and tire changers Keiston France and Zach Price, the foundation is strong.
Now, it’s about consistency. Because if this team can match its pit road execution with Blaney’s front-running pace, the narrative could shift quickly from frustration to championship contender.
