His driver might have won the Cup Series last season, but 2023 has been a season characterized by more downs than ups for Roger Penske. His defending champion, Joey Logano, was ousted in the first round of the playoffs. Now with only one race until the championship race, Ryan Blaney is the only Team Penske man still in the hunt. However, he finds himself in a precarious position before the showdown in Phoenix.

To be fair to Ryan Blaney, no one expected him to be in this situation even when the playoffs started. Maybe not even himself. The going has been tough for the 29-year-old this year with all the issues his team has faced. It would be an incredible underdog story if he beats the odds and gets the job done in Phoenix. But first, he needs to get there.

Qualifying will be absolutely crucial for Ryan Blaney

No one expected Ryan Blaney to even make it to the round of 8. But he found himself at the bottom of the pack, eighth out of eighth. Now, the Team Penske star is in one of the spots for the final race. However, his advantage is not much. Being only 10 points ahead of the cut line with the likes of Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, and Martin Truex Jr. is going to be tough.

It is important to remember that the Martinsville Speedway is one of Ryan Blaney’s strongest tracks. Out of his 15 starts at the venue, the Team Penske star has finished in the top 10 nine times. He displayed a stunning recovery drive earlier this year at the track as he finished P7 from a P31 starting position.

The Ford cars have been criticized throughout this season for their aero-deficiency but on a short track like Martinsville, that won’t come into play. It is important to remember that in the last race at the circuit, Team Penske and Stewart-Haas Racing seemed lightning quick. Both teams have Ford as their engine manufacturer.

But it’s not going to be easy for Ryan Blaney. He has been in good form over the past few races but none of them was a short track. Overtaking at the Martinsville Speedway is tough and the key will lie in qualifying. Unfortunately for the Team Penske man, Reddick, Hamlin, and Truex are all quite good at short tracks.

The immediate threat to Ryan Blaney is Tyler Reddick, who is 10 points behind the cutline. The 23XI Racing driver has had an average starting position of 7.5 in the playoffs while Blaney’s is 13. The Team Penske man cannot afford to start that much behind anyone looking to take away that final championship spot.

The 29-year-old will face stiff competition this weekend, especially from Denny Hamlin. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver will be desperate to get into the championship race. He will also be looking to take Blaney down a peg after the latter’s comments in Miami.

WATCH THIS STORY: Blaney’s triumph amidst Hamlin’s tactics 

Team Penske star calls Denny Hamlin a ‘hack’ after Miami race

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Ryan Blaney was not best pleased with Denny Hamlin at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. According to the Team Penske man, the 42-year-old tried to slide him a few times during the race. This irritated the 29-year-old who did not hold back in his post-race interview.

“He tried to slide me two or three times and failed miserably and then just decided to use me up. If you’re gonna slide somebody, slide somebody and commit. Don’t halfway do it and use me up. What did he say? ‘Hack?’ I think he was that today,” the driver of the #12 said.

Rivalries and arguments aside, Ryan Blaney will have to pull off something special to make it into the championship race. Given his recent results, momentum is with the Team Penske man but will he be able to execute? We will find out soon.

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