Recent incidents between Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin at New Hampshire, followed by Hamlin’s aggressive racing against his own teammate Bubba Wallace in Kansas, have sparked renewed discussion about how drivers should compete within the same team. Joey Logano, a prominent driver for Team Penske, has joined the conversation, offering his perspective on the complexities involved in competing against teammates.
Differences in Team Strategies on Intra-Squad Competition
While Hamlin advocates for non-playoff drivers to yield to their playoff teammates to maximize team success, Ryan Blaney praised Team Penske’s approach, saying no team manages teammate racing better. Logano, who races alongside Blaney, elaborated on the topic before the Round of 12 finale at the Charlotte Roval course.
Logano Describes the Difficulty of Teammate Rivalries
Joey Logano expressed the intricacies of competing on the same team but against each other for victory:
I honestly feel like it’s one of the most challenging relationships that you can ever go through because when you think about other team sports, you’re on the same team. That team wins together. In this case, you’re on the same team, but only one of you gets to win. It gets really confusing.
He further explained how drivers’ attitudes evolve over time:
One win is good for everybody, and there’s truth to that. I’ve seen that over my years of driving how your perspective changes over the years. When you first come in, it’s me, me, me, me, me, and then you kind of eventually see the big picture, if you do it long enough, how the whole ecosystem is really created and how it is good for everyone to see victory at Team Penske or whatever respective team that may be… It’s just unique. I have never seen anything like it in my time.
Maintaining Balance Between Teamwork and Rivalry
Despite the collective spirit within the garage, Logano acknowledged the difficulty of balancing teamwork with individual ambition. Each car operates with its own crew chief, engineers, and pit crew, which emphasizes the competitive aspect within the same organization. He described the relationship between teammates as challenging and frequently stretched to its limits throughout a season.
Ryan Blaney has noted that to reduce confusion on race day, Team Penske drivers discuss all possible racing scenarios beforehand. Austin Cindric has suggested that racing against teammates is the easiest form of competition, but Logano disagreed. He stated that while familiarity can help, drivers must continuously find the fine line between cooperating and racing aggressively, as fans expect intense competition.
The Heightened Stakes When Championships Are on the Line
Logano summed up the dynamic simply by saying that, ultimately, one teammate must win. He referenced the 2022 Phoenix finale, where he and Blaney battled side by side for the championship. The race was a showdown decided by mere inches, fought cleanly despite the high stakes, with Logano securing the championship trophy and Blaney finishing second.
Implications for Team Racing Moving Forward
The ongoing tension between collaboration and rivalry among teammates illustrates how NASCAR’s team environment differs from traditional sports. As drivers like Logano continue to navigate these complex relationships, their experiences highlight the unique pressure that comes with competing alongside close colleagues while striving for personal success. How Team Penske and others manage these dynamics could shape team strategies in future playoff battles.
