Every team on the field will want to visit victory lane as NASCAR returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday. But the pressure is a tad bit more on Team Penske drivers, considering Roger Penske also owns the race track. As they ready themselves for the challenge that lies ahead, the team’s heroes are aware of the importance of winning.
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2X Cup Series champion Joey Logano told the press, “We want to win. We want to win more, sure, absolutely. It’s been like that every time you come here, you want to win, but when Roger owns it, obviously he wants to see the success of his cars on this racetrack.” Partners of the track and the team will be aplenty during the Brickyard 400.
He continued about the pressure of performing under scrutinizing eyes, “This is a big race for Team Penske. All of our race car partners are partners with the racetrack most likely one way or another. It is one of the crown jewel events of the year. So yeah, it’s a little extra there.” Adding on to the weight will be the success of Josef Newgarden in the Indianapolis 500.
The 33-year-old secured back-to-back victories in the prestigious event in Roger Penske’s IndyCar Series ride, extending Penske’s victory record in the race to 20 wins by doing so. This has set the bar a bit too high for the stars over here in NASCAR. Defending Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney, in particular, is wary of the expectations now.
Ryan Blaney underlines how important it is to perform well in Indianapolis
Blaney said during his media availability, “You know this place means a lot. We are going to try to do it. We have to try to match the IndyCar folks and Joseph (Newgarden) this year giving Roger his 20th. It would be cool to sweep Indianapolis with the IndyCar and NASCAR teams.” The champion is one of the top betting favorites to emerge victorious in the event.
Logano and Blaney made Penske a happy man when they clinched back-to-back Cup Series championships. Securing the win on NASCAR’s return to a crown jewel race will only make him more so.
A key challenge that they’ll face is the strangeness that comes with racing on the oval after three years. But they appear fired up to tackle any hurdle that comes their way.
