Ryan Blaney Delivers NASCAR Win for Penske at Phoenix

Blaney felt pressure to complete a dominant weekend for Team Penske across NASCAR and IndyCar competition.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Ryan Blaney captured the NASCAR Cup Series victory at Phoenix Raceway, completing a dominant weekend for Team Penske across both its NASCAR and IndyCar programs. With Roger Penske watching both series compete at the same track, Blaney said there was "a little more internal pressure" to finish the weekend strong and not "mess it up" after Penske's IndyCar team had already won its race.

Why it matters

This victory for Blaney and Team Penske showcases the organization's strength across multiple racing disciplines, as well as the high expectations and internal pressure that come with representing one of the most successful teams in motorsports history.

The details

Blaney said IndyCar driver Josef Newgarden put "the pressure on us" by telling the NASCAR side that the entire weekend would be "absolutely ruined" if they didn't win on Sunday. With Penske's IndyCar program already capturing the pole position and race win, as well as Joey Logano taking the NASCAR pole, the onus was on Blaney to complete the dominant weekend for the organization.

  • The NASCAR Cup Series race took place on Sunday, March 9, 2026.
  • Penske's IndyCar program won its race earlier in the weekend.

The players

Ryan Blaney

A NASCAR Cup Series driver who races for Team Penske.

Roger Penske

The owner of Team Penske, which fields cars in both the NASCAR Cup Series and IndyCar Series.

Josef Newgarden

An IndyCar driver who races for Team Penske.

Joey Logano

A NASCAR Cup Series driver who races for Team Penske.

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What they’re saying

“There's a little more internal pressure. You don't want to be the guys who don't finish out the whole weekend for RP.”

— Ryan Blaney, NASCAR Cup Series Driver (heavy.com)

“Josef put the pressure on us. This weekend is going to be absolutely ruined if you don't do it on Sunday.”

— Ryan Blaney, NASCAR Cup Series Driver (heavy.com)

“It's always special to win it for Roger.”

— Ryan Blaney, NASCAR Cup Series Driver (heavy.com)

What’s next

The victory boosts Blaney's position in the early 2026 NASCAR Cup Series standings, as he looks to build on this momentum throughout the rest of the season.

The takeaway

This dominant weekend for Team Penske across both NASCAR and IndyCar showcases the organization's strength and the high expectations that come with representing one of the most successful teams in motorsports history.