After a Depressing Season for Team Penske, Can Ryan Blaney Overshadow Brad Keselowski as the Knight in Shining Armor for Ford?

When 16 drivers entered the Cup Series playoffs this year, Ford emerged victorious with 6 of those racecars manufactured by the $47 Billion company. But 3 drivers were eliminated in the first round, leaving two teams to carry forward the company?s reputation.

Along with the battle for the Championship 4 race, a parallel battle has been going on?to be the highest-ranked Ford on the grid. Currently, Team Penske?s #12 driver Ryan Blaney has to single-handedly defend against the strategic efficiency of Brad Keselowski?s RFK Racing team. With three races to go, Blaney faces an uphill battle to close the season as the best-performing Ford Mustang of the year.

Ryan Blaney relying on one racetrack to outdo RFK Racing?s season dominance

Last year, Team Penske brought laurels for the manufacturing giants when their #22 driver Joey Logano won the Championship 4 race in Phoenix. This year, Logano was eliminated in the first round itself. After 2 Chevrolets and 4 Toyotas, the highest-placed Ford driver is only 7th in the points standings. With the aid of the stage points collected by Ryan Blaney in Las Vegas, he surpassed Chris Buescher in the Round of 8 points table. But in spite of his elimination in the previous round, Brad Keselowski still poses a considerable threat to Blaney as he can help Buescher surpass Blaney.

Ford is trailing behind the other two NASCAR manufacturers this season. And one of these drivers could change its fortune in the upcoming races. A lackluster performance in Las Vegas aside, Chris Buescher has displayed his career-best form this season. In Las Vegas, his team owner Keselowski found himself free from championship constraints and ended Stage 1 with a Top 3 finish and remained in the Top 5 during the rest of the race. With 4 Top 5s and an average finish of 13.6, the #6 Ford Mustang driver would be a formidable foe at the Homestead-Miami speedway as well. The same could not be said for Blaney.

Watch this story: Ryan Blaney’s Championship Hopes Take a Hit: A Tale of Two Disqualifications

Through his Top 10 performance, Blaney might have superseded Buescher in the playoff standings, but 17 points below the cut line is a far cry from the pace and skills he showcased to outclass Kevin Harvick in Talladega. Moreover, the 1.5-mile track in Homestead has never been his strong suit, and his average finish is 18.6. The penultimate race in Martinsville, however, would be a different story altogether. With 7 Top 5s and 9 Top 10s, the #12 Penske driver tops the track record among all the Cup drivers this season.

If Ryan Blaney managed to capitalize on his sublime track experience, the Phoenix Raceway also brings optimistic news for him. 6 Top 5 and 10 Top 10 finishes make him the best-performing Ford driver on the Championship 4 ground. The following table sheds a comparative light on the past excursions of the top Ford drivers this season.

But besides these three obvious contenders, Ford’s dark horse is running the last leg of his incredible journey.

Ford?s retiring driver can still pull an outgoing victory without a championship stake

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Nine years ago, Kevin Harvick sped fast the checkered flag at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, and a new champion was born. This weekend, Stewart-Hart Racing?s #4 Ford Mustang driver is all set to traverse the mile-and-a-half race track for the last time. Ryan Blaney might have established his stronghold in the short track oval of Martinsville, but none of the active drivers can touch Harvick?s expertise in Homestead.?

22 races, 12 Top 5s, and 19 Top 10s- the #4 driver has the best track record with an average finish of 7.3. Harvick would want an impressionable farewell by conquering the ground one more time. And if not this weekend, the final race of the season will also be the final race of Kevin Harvick?s Cup career. With 9 incredible wins, Harvick truly rules the Phoenix tri-oval. What better way to wrap up an inspirational racing journey than a season-ending triumph?

In order to surpass these racing veterans, Ryan Blaney cannot afford a single wrong turn in the coming weeks.?

Read More: NASCAR Insider Breaks Down Ford?s Loose Canons ?Execution Issues? After Sneaking His Way Into the Round of 8