AVONDALE, Ariz. – To borrow a famous Yogi-ism, the 2023 season could be déjà vu all over again for Team Penske—with a different driver.
Last year, Joey Logano started the season strong, suffered a slump after winning at World Wide Technology Raceway in June and finished with a victory in the championship race at Phoenix.
Logano won three times last year, including a victory at Las Vegas in the Round of 8 and closed with the championship.
This year, Ryan Blaney already has three victories to his credit, including the elimination race in the Round of 8. On Friday, he was third fastest in NASCAR Cup Series final practice—best among the Championship 4 drivers.
So, could a title be in the offing for Blaney?
There’s certainly some parallels, for sure,” acknowledged Jonathan Hassler, Blaney’s crew chief. “Certainly, a lot of differences as well. If you look at the season on a whole, as a company last year we had a lot more speed.
“Maybe not the wins, but we had a lot more speed throughout the year. We certainly had to work tooth and nail and grind it out to find speed here late in the year. Some similarities and some differences as well.”
Admittedly, the seasons would mirror each other to a greater extent if Blaney captures the championship.
Source: Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service
