Ryan Blaney tidak akan bersantai setelah Loudon memenangkan Vault untuk putaran playoff berikutnya
Bob Pockrass
FOX Motorsports Insider
LOUDON, N.H. — Ryan Blaney winning the playoff race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway certainly helps his chances of winning a second Cup title.
But shortly after he celebrated the victory holding a lobster in victory lane, he wouldn’t say that this was the catch needed to feel that he could win it all in 2025.
“I don’t think the win makes me feel any more that way,” Blaney said. “I think we can contend. This team has been really good all year.
“It’s a championship-contending team. It’s a championship-winning team a couple years ago. It’s pretty much the same group of guys. My mindset really hasn’t changed. I believed we can do it all season, and this win doesn’t make me believe we can do it even more than what I felt like going through the whole year.”
Ryan Blaney celebrates after winning at New Hampshire.
The whole year has not gone smoothly for Blaney, who has had seven races where he failed to finish. He led laps in 10 of the first 21 races but has now led laps in eight of the last nine events.
He has won two of the last five races, capturing the regular-season finale at Daytona and now the opening race of the quarterfinal round (Round of 12) of the playoffs.
The win Sunday earned him an automatic bid into the semifinal round (Round of Eight). This gives him two weeks without having to worry because he can race at Kansas and at the Charlotte road course knowing that how he finishes won’t impact his advancing. But if he can earn a stage win or a race win in either of those races, the playoff points earned could help him advance.
So he can play with a little more freedom when it comes to strategy.
“It opens up your box a little bit, and it makes you feel a little bit better if it doesn’t work out,” Blaney said. “If it backfires on you, it’s not as big of a deal if you’re fighting for your life for points, every point you can get.”
Blaney and his Team Penske crew chief Jonathan Hassler executed the strategy to perfection at New Hampshire after Blaney took the lead. He made his final green-flag pit stop with 69 laps left in the race, which could have been considered a little early.
Ryan Blaney secured his spot in the Round of Eight after winning at New Hampshire.
He then pitted for two tires with 46 laps remaining, coming out of the pits in third behind Josh Berry and Chase Elliott, who had stayed out.
Blaney snagged the lead with 39 laps remaining and never looked back.
It was no surprise that Blaney battled Berry for the lead late in the race as Berry — who drives for Team Penske affiliate Wood Brothers Racing — had been strong all weekend. Penske drivers led the majority of the laps, with Joey Logano leading 147 of the 301 laps, Blaney leading 116 and Berry out front for 10.
Logano was one of three drivers to do a tire test at the track in late July.
“We were fortunate that Joey was able to come here and test,” Hassler said. “I give Joey and [crew chief] Paul [Wolfe] Banyak kredit untuk melewati banyak hal di tes yang membuat mobil kami lebih cepat.
“Kami semua bekerja bersama untuk melewati hal -hal yang diuji dan filosofi berbeda yang telah dan belum bekerja sepanjang tahun dan memastikan bahwa kami semua kompetitif seperti yang kami bisa ketika kami muncul.”
Logano memenangkan tiang dan Blaney mulai di sampingnya di barisan depan. Itu adalah akhir pekan yang penuh dengan kecepatan di trek yang biasanya menjadi tempat di mana Joe Gibbs Racing berkembang.
Joey Logano memenangkan tiang untuk New Hampshire pada hari Sabtu.
“12 [of Blaney] sangat cepat dalam praktik, dan dia menunjukkan itu lagi dalam perlombaan, “kata Logano.” Satu -satunya kesempatan kami mengalahkannya di pit road dan mengalahkan detail. “
Ketika itu satu -satunya kesempatan, Blaney akan sering muncul sebagai pemenang.
“Kapan saja Anda bisa menang di babak playoff, itu hanya momentum,” kata Blaney. “Aku sangat percaya pada momentum dan kepercayaan diri. … Ini jelas bukan sesuatu di mana kamu tidak bisa santai. Itu hal besar bagiku. Kita tidak akan bersantai selama dua minggu.
“Kita tidak akan menendang kaki dan hanya berkeliling. Seperti, kita akan mencoba memenangkan dua balapan lagi. Harus tetap dalam mode itu. Harus tetap dalam mode kill itu. Itu sangat penting. Sangat menyenangkan ketika kita bisa melakukan itu.”
Bob Pockrass mencakup NASCAR dan IndyCar untuk Fox Sports. Dia telah menghabiskan beberapa dekade meliputi olahraga motor, termasuk lebih dari 30 Daytona 500-an, dengan tugas di ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene Magazine dan Jurnal Berita (Daytona Beach). Ikuti dia di Twitter @Bobpockrass.
Apa pendapat Anda tentang cerita ini?
Get more from the NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
