Ryan Blaney has one race win in 2026, and he is generally considered one of the best drivers in the NASCARCup Series. Despite his immense ability, Blaney is dealing with pit-road issues that seemed to cost him his chance at winning last Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Per FRCS.Pro, Blaney has the 7th-worst pit crew in average stop time (10.887s). The worst teams are numbers: 21, 34, 35, 41, 51, and 97. Through 8 races, Blaney has lost 88 spots on pit road. Simply put, this is not up to Team Penske standards.
Advertisement
Denny Hamlin Has Kind Words for Ryan Blaney
In Hamlin’s latest episode of Actions Detrimental, he was asked if Blaney is the man to beat in the Cup Series. Behind a longer answer, he confirmed to the audience that he believes that Blaney is the man to beat so far this season, ahead of Tyler Reddick and Kyle Larson.
As many fans would agree, it would be thought that Blaney would have multiple race wins. That, he does not. Blaney has one win, which came at Phoenix. He is still in 2nd place in the Driver Standings; however, if pit problems were cleaned up, Blaney could be doing much better.
Advertisement
Despite losing 88 spots on pit road through 8 races, Blaney has still managed 6 top-10 finishes.
Crew Chief Stays Optimistic
Ryan Blaney prepares for the NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Blaney’s crew chief, Robert Hassler, tries to keep the morale high in the No. 12 pit box. “I think they did a great job,” Hassler remarked. “All of those guys are capable, and we’ve stuck with them.”
The unique matter is that this pit crew is the same as in 2025. In 2025, the crew ranked in the top 10 in the entire series. Something is amiss, and it may just be bad luck, but the team must improve.
Advertisement
Given Hassler’s optimism and confidence in his team, no change is expected. However, its struggles remain; something shall need to happen.
Dale Jr. Suggests Change to Blaney’s Team
On the most recent episode of the Dale JR Download, Earnhardt suggested a change. “There are people whose job it is to make sure that the pit crew is badass.” “He (Blaney) might be able to go into this person’s office and say ‘fix my pit crew, damnit,” Dale JR exclaimed.
Advertisement
Pit Crew Issues Are Important
Time and time again, pit road issues cost teams the greatest of achievements. At the NASCAR Championship Race, the No. 11 team of Denny Hamlin was forced to pit before a green-white-checkered, due to a caution. The team did not fail on speed, but they did fail on decision-making by choosing to run with four tires. The Championship was in the hands of pit road, and they failed. The failure cost history.
That instance is just one of countless examples of how much pit road matters. Blaney has not been shy about addressing the struggles with his team, stating, “Clean it up,” on his radio. The 2-time champion has deserved the right to say what he needs to, and his well-known outspoken nature on the radio has been heard.
Advertisement
If the No. 12 were struggling in the standings, the issue would be of much greater importance, and perhaps a chance would have arisen by now. The team is currently 2nd in the standings, and so, they have time to get it right. The clock is ticking…
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Read the full article here