It is about time that Ryan Blaney gets some relief on pit road. Team Penske has stepped in and is making a change for Blaney and his crew. He will have a new jackman for Kansas Speedway this year.
There is no other driver who loses more spots than Ryan Blaney on pit road. Still, he has won a race and competed for at least two other wins. Blaney has had to pass more cars just to finish four spots behind where he should have.
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This week, as first reported by SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the No. 12 team has made a change at jackman. They are swapping with the No. 21 team of Josh Berry and Wood Brothers Racing.
Ryan Blaney next to his car on pit road at Martinsville. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Patrick Gray will be the new jackman for Blaney. Landon Honeycutt will make the move over to Berry’s car. They are hoping that the experience of Gray is what this team needs to gel and come together on pit road.
Time and time again this season, fans have watched as Blaney, one of the fastest drivers in the Cup Series right now, would lose 3, 4, 5, sometimes more spots on pit road. When you are competing against the perfection that is Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing on pit road, you can’t afford those mistakes.
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Everyone talks about Tyler Reddick and his four wins and rightly so. But you could argue that Blaney lost out on Bristol, Darlington, and maybe even Martinsville, because his pit crew simply couldn’t hold or advance track position.
Will that change at Kansas Speedway with Gray on the jack? The 12 team sure is hoping that is the case.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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