"It's a little bit different" - Ryan Blaney makes feeling known about dynamics with Joey Logano ahead of Championship clash
Ryan Blaney shared his thoughts on competing against Joey Logano, his Penske teammate, for the championship title. While Blaney will race to defend his Cup Series title, Logano will start the race hoping to lift a third championship trophy in Phoenix.
Blaney secured his spot in the Championship 4 race after an impressive last-stage performance in the Round of 8 race in Martinsville. Meanwhile, the #22 Logano advanced for the season's final race after driving through the victory lane at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race.
During a media interaction, #12 Ford driver Blaney discussed how motorsports differs from the NFL. Unlike the NFL, the 30-year-old elaborated on how you have to compete directly against your teammate. He said:
"Motorsports is tricky situations because you're competing directly against your teammates sometimes but you're still racing for your company umbrella, where as far as like you're two wide receivers in the NFL, you might want to get more touches than that guy or get paid more than that guy, but if you do well, he does well, your team is still going to win right." [6:39]
"So, it is a little bit different. But Joey and I have always worked really well together. We're still fiery competitors because you want to be the, I'm not going to say main guy at the team, but you want to win the most races," Ryan Blaney said.
The reigning Cup Series champion also spoke about how they go out each week looking to win races and championships for Team Penske and its owner Roger Penske.
"We want to be successful for Roger": Ryan Blaney on working together as a team under Team Penske
Team Penske has won four Cup Series titles and is the defending champion of NASCAR's premier division. However, as the Roger Penske-owned organization enters the Championship 4 race with two of its drivers in contention, do the team dynamics change inside the Penske shed?
In an interview with Frontstretch in October, Penske driver Ryan Blaney discussed the three-car entries working together as a team to grow and become successful for the Ford roster.
"You can't just be three separate entities doing your own thing. What's the point of having a three-four car team if you're doing that? That's just kind of been the Penske way here. It's just [we] all try to rely on each other and use each other's skills to build your own and help grow the whole thing healthy. Its something where we understand the deal and we understand that we want to be successful for Roger [Penske] and to do that you have to work together," Ryan Blaney said. [6:14]
NASCAR will return for the final race of the 2024 season at Phoenix Raceway on November 10 where the two Penske drivers will compete against 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick and Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron.