The Round of 12 opener at Loudon didn’t just see Team Penske’s domination, where Ryan Blaney won his third of the year, but it also saw the contrasting sportsmanship traits in two major camps. While Joey Logano and Blaney combined to lead a whopping 263 out of 301 laps and showed solid teamwork, Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs clashed on track, showing the opposite.
It wasn’t just Logano and Blaney. The final fight between Blaney and Josh Berry set a better example of clean teammate racing. “I was going to race him hard but clean,” said Berry post-race. And now, Blaney has spoken his side of the story with Kevin Harvick, especially about the communication aspect among the teammates in the Penske camp, in light of how the Hamlin-Gibbs case demonstrated a lack of it.
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Ryan Blaney spoke about Penske’s team philosophy
In his conversation with Blaney, Kevin Harvick mentioned the signs of respect and communication that the Penske boys showed during the race, whether it was the Logano-Blaney partnership or Berry’s post-race comments hailing Blaney and team, and emphasizing clean racing. Though their actions spoke for themselves, Harvick still asked if this is something that Penske generally preaches to the team.
“No, there’s never any team orders that come from Roger. The only thing that is kinda preached is that he expects us to race each other just as hard as anybody else. Just don’t wreck each other, running 1-2 trying to win the race,” responded Blaney.
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This shows that when it comes to competition, Penske is all in for it, and it doesn’t matter if you’re facing rivals or buddies. The only difference in those two scenarios, and a good one, is when you’re facing one of your own; just don’t take it to that level where it becomes counterproductive. And a perfect example of this was shown when Hamlin spun Gibbs on Lap 110, when both were battling for 11th. Hamlin, working on his playoff scores, was unhappy that Gibbs didn’t show the teamwork ethic needed at the time, and Gibbs, out of the playoffs, reacted with a cold “Game-on” from his radio when he hit the wall.
Blaney then continued elaborating on the culture in their camp, saying, “We work so closely here at Team Penske, from the drivers and crew chiefs and engineers, it’s one big group. It’s a joint effort to be competitive, and I personally feel that we do that better than any group.”
He explained this with their example at Loudon. “Small moments yesterday, Joey and I were racing the heck out of each other for the lead. Me and Josh at the end, racing each other super hard, but we’re not going to run into each other. I’m not knocking the other deal that went on, but this is kind of how we’ve operated for a long time. It just stems from what Roger has always expected us to race hard and always go for wins when you can get them. Be smart about it and don’t go out there and do something that is going to jeopardise the whole team.”
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Blaney’s words were seen in the way Team Penske operated throughout the race. The seamless coordination between him and Logano in leading most laps showed their intra-team strength, especially when it comes to communication. And even in the final showdown with Josh Berry, the respect and clean racing reflected the unified culture Blaney described.
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This approach, Blaney explained, comes from Roger Penske’s philosophy — race hard for your wins, but keep the team at the top first. And Loudon was a perfect example of that team culture in action.
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Ty Gibbs makes his stance clear
In the aftermath of the JGR wreck at Loudon, Ty Gibbs has now made his stance on the fiasco. While he initially kept his words measured, pulling a Kyle Busch-like stint in 2017, by repeatedly saying, “It’s unfortunate. But, I’m excited to go race next week,” Gibbs later reposted Kevin Harvick’s Instagram reel blasting Hamlin, adding a finger-pointing emoji. The move showed he is no longer interested in keeping the matter under wraps.
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Harvick had said, “There’s no hiding that wasn’t intentional. You could have wiped out all three of them right there … it’s a decision that shows a lot of people that you don’t really have a lot of respect [for others around you].” By amplifying those words, Gibbs aligned himself with Harvick’s criticism, essentially accusing Hamlin of wrongdoing.
Fans initially praised Gibbs’ diplomacy after the race, but his social media activity paints a different picture. The young driver appears to be going against his veteran teammate, signaling that the rift inside Joe Gibbs Racing may be far from over.