Team Penske is definitely on Cloud 9, as they are having their best race weekend. The scale of celebration must be unbelievable, as Roger Penske gets three victories on the weekend. Will Power dominated the second race of IndyCar’s double-header at Iowa Speedway. While Team Penske was coming to their senses from this news, Ryan Blaney took the checkered flag at Pocono Raceway. The competition director for Penske, Travis Geisler, could not hide his excitement as he talked about the wins.
Triple celebration for Team Penske, as Ryan Blaney wins in Pocono
The series of good news started with Will Power winning the recent IndyCar race in Iowa. What’s really incredible is that Power started the race at P22. With this, #12 now has two wins this season. The good news doesn’t end here. Before Power, his team, Scott McLaughlin, picked up the first oval win of his IndyCar career on Saturday. Coupled with the Powers win, Team Penske had a clean sweep of the Indianapolis race weekend.
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Iowa is proving to be a Penske powerhouse, as it wasn’t long ago that Ryan Blaney won the NASCAR Cup Series race here. Blaney has kept the celebration list going as he took the victory at the tricky triangle in the Cup series race. Running at Pocono, the No. 12 Ford had Denny Hamlin on his tail. Hamlin is a seven-time Pocono winner. However, Blaney emerged successful in keeping him behind.
By bagging the Pocono race, Ryan Blaney now has two wins in the season. His teammates Joey Lagano finished 5th and Austin Cindric finished 18th. He himself was stoked with his Pocono performance and that of those at Indy Car post-race. “I feel like the last two months, we’ve been spectacular. So has Team Penske. On any track. In any series,” an excited Blaney screamed, “Penske sweep!”
Equally excited competition director, Travis Geisler, shared how they have good momentum going forward: “It’s great to have Ryan back in here. It’s a really important win for him and his career. For him to be able to celebrate it now as a champion is kind of like coming in full circle. Obviously a lot of good momentum going into next week. Which is a huge focus for our group, and it’s obviously a great place to be good at when you are going to Indy next.”
Now, Roger Penske and Co. are eyeing Indianapolis and Richmond next, as the weekends are fast approaching. Geisler said, “There is a lot of unknowns going into next week. Kind of a short practice period. Hopefully, we can repeat again. Incredible weekend for us. Indy car won in both Iowa and then us getting this one. Its a great sweep.” Surely, the races will be a bit crucial for Penske, as Cindric is struggling a bit at the points table, whereas the other two have had a comfortable run so far in the 2024 season.
The wins so far have made 2024 a good year for Penske
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The NASCAR 2024 Cup series for Team Penske has been a success, as all drivers have bagged wins in the season. It started with a race that is hard to forget. Adding to the luck of the No. 2 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, it was at the right place at the right time, not just for Austin Cindric but also for the team. Cindric, who had not won since capturing the 2022 Daytona 500, was part of a Team Penske trio that was strong all day as he led 53 laps. Overall, Cindric, Blaney, and Joey Logano combined to lead 74 laps, while Ford as a whole led 137- of 240 laps.
But the race came down to the final stage as Blaney waged a side-by-side duel with Christopher Bell, who led a race-high 80 laps and won the first two stages. At the final lap, race leader Ryan Blaney ran out of gas, and it was Cindric who was trailing him who took the win for the team, his second career win at the World Wide Technology Raceway.
Shortly after, Ryan Blaney won the inaugural Cup race at Iowa Speedway. The win was his first of the season. However, it became even more special as his mother is from Iowa, and the packed stadium had at least 80 of his friends and family cheering him on. Joey Logano must have felt left out, as he went on to clinch a victory in Nashville.
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Another Ryan Blaney incident could have unfolded as Logano had just enough gas to cross the finish line. Lastly, the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway was won by Logano. Although it doesn’t earn any points, it shows the team’s prowess.
Blaney’s victory at Pocono makes for a total of four victories for Team Penske in 2024. While Ryan Blaney sits at 7th, Logano at 14th, and Cindric at a distant 19th, will the clean sweep translate into all Penske drivers qualifying, or will it only be Blaney and Logano?
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Ryan Blaney's win at Charlotte Roval—Is he the future star of Team Penske?
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