Ryan Blaney may have his head down, but that is because he is focused on a strong ROVAL performance. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
CONCORD, N.C. – If any drivers understands and appreciates the fruits of labor with winning at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, look no further than Ryan Blaney of Team Penske.
After all, the 28-year-old Hartford Township, Ohio native kicked off this track’s unique hybrid layout with a win in 2018. That victory propelled Blaney to a Round of 8 Playoffs spot in his maiden season with the Penske banner.
Ahead of Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400, Blaney’s in a comfortable spot, ranked second and 32 points to the good of the Playoffs cutline.
Prior to practice and qualifying, Blaney considered the likely strategies that his No. 12 Discount Tire Ford Mustang crew will consider. In this case, Blaney and interim crew chief Samuel Stanley have considered about every option on the table.
“We’re fortunate to be in a decent spot on points, so I think you kind of see how the first stage goes for you,” Blaney said. “If you can get a few points in the first stage and kind of see where everyone else is at, then maybe you flip the second one and set yourself up for the win. We’ve talked about this all week of different scenarios, but there are a handful of guys – there are a few guys in the Playoffs that I think will flip every stage.
“You’ve got the 9 (Chase Elliott), the 20 (Christopher Bell), who probably has to win, the 8 (Tyler Reddick) has been good – he’s not part of the Playoffs anymore, but the 8 has been really good on road courses, so he’ll flip everything. Our strategy is seeing how the first stage goes and kind of go from there.”
Likewise, Blaney and his rivals may consider a reverse pit strategy where pitting before the stage breaks sets up for optimum track position in Stage 3. While that may result in lost stage points, there is something to be said about a race win.
Along the same lines, the intensity picks up for Blaney and his 10 remaining challengers. From flawless pit stops to clean restarts, the pressure to perform ramps up especially at the Charlotte ROVAL.
No, that is not Austin Cindric, but Blaney in the familiar Discount Tire colors. (Photo: Stephen Conley | The Podium Finish)
“I feel like every race in the Playoffs is incredibly difficult,” he observed. “You can’t afford any mistakes, but as you get later in the rounds it becomes even more important to not make any mistakes.
“And then especially when you get to the Round of 8 you’re racing against the best teams out there and things like that. Each round it intensifies, for sure, and it gets harder and harder but that’s what it’s all about and you have to understand that and you just have to focus on your job.”
Outside of some blips at Darlington and Bristol, Blaney and his No. 12 team have been steady with a ninth at Kansas, fourth at Texas and second at Talladega. An average finish of fifth is not an easy accomplishment during the Playoffs.
Additionally, Blaney and his team have been steady with their performances despite a penalty following Bristol, effective after Texas, that saw regular crew chief, Jonathan Hassler, and two of their pit crew personnel suspended until the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville.
Still, there’s no shaking the confidence and focus from Blaney and company. If anything, this combination has continued to perform at a high level.
“I think we’ve done a really good job at Texas and Talladega of getting good stage points, finishing really well to put us in this position, so I’m really proud of the effort that we’ve made,” Blaney recalled. “We had our problems at Bristol in that cut off race and they did a great job of overcoming some issues and being able to get back out there and running.
“And then jumping into Texas of having to be in a really tough race to call as a crew chief on when do you pit, when do you don’t pit. I thought that we managed that race really good, and then Miles stepping in for Jonathan when he was suspended, to step in at Talladega and do a really good job on the box.”
Even a young racer like Blaney does not take the ROVAL for granted. A comfortable margin between a Round of 8 spot and an early exit from the Playoffs is not lost with his mindset with how this track and postseason gets the best of the Cup Series.
“We’re 32 points to the good, but that can go away really quickly, so you never get too comfortable,” he recognized. “You’re always trying to do the same thing you’ve done through the Playoffs – perform the best you can to stay in the race and keep moving on.”
