Ryan Blaney’s win at Pocono Raceway was as much of a team effort as it was through his skill, talent, and hard work. The nature of the race made it hard for drivers to make passes for the lead, which meant track positions were traded on pit road through various pit strategies employed by the teams. Blaney’s crew chief Jonathan Hassler had a big role in this regard.

Having struggled to find speed over a mile-and-a-half all season, Hassler’s brilliant pit strategy meant seven-time Pocono Raceway champion Denny Hamlin was forced to settle for a runner-up finish. On a track traditionally dominated by Toyota, it was Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang that crossed the checkered flag first, potentially signaling a turning point for Team Penske.

How Hassler secured Ryan Blaney’s win at Pocono Raceway

‘The Tricky Triangle’ is where Ryan Blaney’s journey began as a winner, being the site where he won his first Cup Series race in 2017. Coming full circle, the reigning NASCAR champion secured his second win of the season, and his second in the last five races on the track. The 30-year-old took the lead with 44 laps to go, perfectly executing his pre-planned strategy of holding on to track position late. Ryan Blaney and Jonathan Hassler knew the No. 12 Ford had enough speed to hold off any competitors, which meant all they needed to do was be in the right place, at the right time, to get the result.

Speaking after the race, Ryan Blaney’s crew chief Jonathan Hassler was asked how important was the win for him. Hassler replied to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, “As we look toward the end of the season, one of our weaknesses this year has been a mile-and-a-half intermediate program. To get a little bit of speed, a little bit of momentum on this kind of track is really good for us.” When asked if Team Penske was building momentum at just the right time, Hassler went on to say, “Yeah, we talked. We set a goal as a team to be the team of the summer. I think certainly we’re turning that corner and starting to do it.”

Starting the race in eighth place, Ryan Blaney hit the pit road just before the end of Stage 2 to bank on the strategy devised by Team Penske. Jonathan Hassler knew that the long straightaways of Pocono Raceway could make on-track overtaking notoriously difficult, which meant the race could only be won with a smart pit strategy. With Denny Hamlin finishing second and first in the opening two stages, the early pit stop ensured Ryan Blaney was in position to take the lead in Stage 3. The 30-year-old capitalized on the restarts thrice, forcing Hamlin to play catch-up in the end.

If the result at Pocono Raceway is anything to go by, Team Penske has solved the issue of struggling to perform on intermediate tracks behind them. Out of the four races in which Blaney has finished above 30th place this season, all of them have come on intermediate tracks, a telling indication of their ‘Achilles heel’ this season. However, while Pocono is a Superspeedway, Blaney and Team Penske not only showed pace but also strategy to secure victory on a track traditionally dominated by Toyota. The result could be a turning point for Ryan Blaney and Team Penske, who will be confident of potentially retaining their Cup Series championship this year.

Team Penske completes NASCAR-IndyCar sweep

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It was a good weekend for Team Penske, who got to celebrate three different race wins. The first victory of the weekend came from Scott McLaughlin, who secured his first oval win of his career on Saturday. On Sunday, Team Penske driver Will Power secured a victory in Iowa to win his IndyCar race as well.

Starting the race at P22, Power climbed up the grid to secure his second win of the season. Interestingly, Ryan Blaney secured his first win of the season in Iowa as well, but this weekend, the 30-year-old won at Pocono Raceway to secure a clean sweep for Team Penske. Elated by the result, Ryan Blaney said after the race, “I feel like the last two months, we’ve been spectacular. Penske sweep!”

Speaking after the race in Pocono, Team Penske Competition Director Travis Geisler said, “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.”

With NASCAR heading to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to race at the Oval after a three-year break, Team Penske and Ryan Blaney will hope to carry this momentum forward at a crucial point of the season. With two wins already this season, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility for Ryan Blaney to get a few more wins under his belt before the playoffs begin in Atlanta.

Do you think the win in Pocono Raceway is a turning point for Team Penske? Let us know in the comments!