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Team Penske makes a change to Ryan Blaney's pit crew
TL;DR
Team Penske has restructured Ryan Blaney's pit crew due to ongoing frustrations with slow stops and mistakes. Jackman Landon Honeycutt moves to the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing team, while Patrick Gray joins Blaney's crew.
Key points
- Ryan Blaney frustrated with pit crew mistakes
- Landon Honeycutt moved to No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing
- Patrick Gray joins Blaney's No. 12 Ford crew
- Blaney currently second in championship standings
- Crew chief Jonathan Hassler acknowledges need for improvement
Team PenskeWood Brothers RacingRyan BlaneyJosh Berry
Motorsport photo
In recent weeks, Ryan Blaney has grown increasingly frustrated with mistakes on pit road and slow stops from the No. 12 Team Penske Ford crew. Crew chief Jonathan Hassler has been fairly open about the problems as well, and the need to improve.
Despite winning at Phoenix, he had to overcome multiple issues on pit road during that race, and it was a similar story en route to a runner-up finish at Bristol last weekend. He currently sits second in the championship standings.
The team has now opted to move jackman Landon Honeycutt over to the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford of Josh Berry, while shifting the No. 21 jackman Patrick Gray over to Blaney's No. 12 Ford. Honeycutt is a fairly new jackman and this is his first year in the Cup Series. Gray most notably jumped in mid-race for the No. 22 team at the Phoenix finale in 2024, helping Joey Logano to his third Cup Series title.
The Wood Brothers have a close technical alliance with Penske, operating as a sister car to the Penske trio.
Blaney has lost 88 positions on pit road in the first eight races of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season, and the crew is one of the lowest ranked in the series. Their average pit stop time is over 2.5 seconds slower than the average for the rest of the field.
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Former Blaney tire changer says ‘something needs to change’ with Penske 12 pit crew
Q&A
Why did Team Penske change Ryan Blaney's pit crew?
Team Penske changed Ryan Blaney's pit crew due to frustrations with slow pit stops and mistakes that affected race performance.
Who is the new jackman for Ryan Blaney's No. 12 Ford?
Patrick Gray is the new jackman for Ryan Blaney's No. 12 Ford, replacing Landon Honeycutt.
What impact did pit road issues have on Ryan Blaney's recent races?
Pit road issues have led to multiple challenges for Ryan Blaney, including needing to overcome mistakes during his win at Phoenix and a runner-up finish at Bristol.
