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NASCAR insiders debate Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano championship hopes after Loudon playoff race

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones09/23/25brianjones_93
Joey Logano Ryan Blaney
Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Two NASCAR insiders had interesting thoughts on how Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano would perform throughout the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. On The Teardown podcast, Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck of The Athletic debated on which driver has the best chance of winning a championship.

“The 12 team (Ryan Blaney) this year has been one of the fastest, if not the fastest,” Bianchi said after Blaney won the race at New Hampshire. “What makes them so good at a racetrack like New Hampshire and Martinsville, and Phoenix is long green flag speed. They did it again today (Sunday). It’s one of the reasons they won this race. Consistently this year, they have had the fastest car.

“I can’t say the same thing about the 22 (Logano). Yes, the 22 figures out how to get things done. They rise to the occasion, I know all of that. But I look at the 12 team, they are doing it, they have done it, and I think they’re going to continue to do it. I just don’t have the same level of confidence right now in the 22 team as I do the 12 team.”

Gluck understood what Bianchi was saying about Logano, but he believes that if Logano makes it to the final four, it’s likely he could win his fourth Cup Series title. “I’m putting all Penske in a group here,” Gluck said. “You had Josh Berry, obviously built in the Penske shop, extremely fast, was right there challenging for the race win.

Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano have won the lat three championships

“Joey Logano led a race-high 147 laps today. That is the most laps he’s led in a single race, I beleive, since the 2022 championship race. I just think in general, they just hit on it and looked really, really good. I respect why you’re saying the 12-team because they’re more likely to make a deep playoff run, but if Joey Logano was at Phoenix still alive? Whoa, that’s really scary for everybody.”

Blaney and Logano compete for Team Penske and have won the last three NASCAR championships. Logano won the title in 2022 and 2024, and Blaney won it all in 2023.

On Sunday, Blaney won the New Hampshire race, and Logano finished fourth. In the current playoff standings, Blaney is in first place and has clinched a spot in the Round of 8. Logano is in sixth place and 24 points above the cut line.