Ryan Blaney brands Joey Logano’s elimination from playoff as a ‘SHAME’

Ryan Blaney is the only Penske driver in the Cup playoff round of 12.

Ryan Blaney brands Joey Logano’s elimination from playoff as a ‘SHAME’

Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano (Via IMAGO)

Team Penske Racing had a nightmarish 2023 season as the top dogs in the Ford garage have just one driver in the R-12 of the 2023 post-season. Defending Cup champion Joey Logano was eliminated alongside Stewart Hass Racing’s Kevin Harvick. An early race crash at Bristol last Sunday cost him the opportunity to defend his title.

The team is now left with just one driver in the fight for the championship in the 2023 Coco-Cola 600 winner, Ryan Blaney. He was joined by the upcoming Ford giants RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski. While discussing his teammate’s exit, Blaney said it was a shame and an unfortunate situation.

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“It is a shame the 22-group got knocked out last week. Those guys just had an unfortunate situation happen and just barely missed it. I don’t think anyone thought that the defending champs were going to get knocked out early,” Ryan Blaney said, as reported by Speedway Media.

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Blaney’s path to the playoff R-12 hasn’t been smooth. He had a slow start to the season before making a strong comeback midway through the season to secure his first win in over two years. But soon after, he had another slump before consistently finishing in the top-20s. His finishes in the R-16 were worst from race one to three, with the worst (P12) coming last week at Bristol.  

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Ryan Blaney explains the teams’ plan to find a positive despite the exit

Despite the huge setback, Roger Penske’s side isn’t ready to back out, as it isn’t what champion teams do. The team needs to use the reaming races in the 2023 season to secure some wins in the future, but also help Blaney to progress in the playoffs.

Ryan Blaney (Via IMAGO)
Ryan Blaney (Via IMAGO)

While discussing how the team can find some positives from Logano’s disappointing exit, he said that the team could test things for the 2024 season in the coming rounds. Blaney believes that the teammate dynamic that exists at Penske will help them to achieve these goals.

“I think you try to make it as positive as you can in our group, and maybe we can try some stuff for next year or try some stuff for these tracks in the R-8 if we can get there. I think we do a good job of teamwork at the Penske shop, with the crews and drivers working together and looking toward the future,” Blaney said.

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