The last organization to bag four consecutive titles in NASCAR was Hendrick Motorsports, which, from 2006 to 2010, won five championships with Jimmie Johnson. HMS was also the last time a team won back-to-back championships with different drivers, between 1995 and 1998 when Jeff Gordon and Terry Labonte claimed the elusive silverware. Team Penske is ready to emulate this record by aiming for their fourth consecutive title this year, a feat Ryan Blaney recently credited to a specific formula for success.
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Joey Logano claimed the biggest prize in NASCAR in 2022 and 2024, while Blaney and the #12 crew conquered the same in 2023. He credits this success to the caliber of the team members, noting their long-term commitment to the team as a key factor.
Blaney explained, “Roger talks all the time about the tenures of people at our place. A lot have been there 10 years, 20 years. He finds the people he wants, and they’re the right people. Not a lot of people come in and leave after two or three years. It’s just the culture there.”
Besides that, in addition to delegating responsibilities to his top recruits, Roger Penske himself is deeply involved in many facets of the team, including weekly calls to Blaney.
Over the past two decades, only Team Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Hendrick Motorsports have claimed NASCAR Cup championships. During this period, Hendrick Motorsports secured nine titles, Team Penske five, and Joe Gibbs Racing three. Stewart-Haas Racing and Furniture Row Racing won the remaining three championships, both of which are no longer operational.
Last season, Team Penske’s drivers finished the season as the top two competitors. The combination of the current playoff system and the introduction of Next Gen cars appears to have been particularly advantageous for Roger Penske’s team.
However, with the formation of a new committee tasked with revising the playoff system, 2025 presents a final opportunity to capture the championship under the existing format, after which the new changes may or may not maintain their advantageous position.
Thus far in the season, Blaney has secured a top-5 finish in Atlanta and a top-10 finish in one of his five starts. In contrast, Logano has not managed to place in the top 10 in any of his starts. Knowing the #22 driver’s strengths as the season approaches the sharp end, it might be too early to count either of them out.
With the sport ready to go live from Homestead-Miami, it also remains to be seen if fellow teammate Austin Cindric can join the party this year. The race goes live on Sunday at 3:00 pm ET.
