NASCAR team rankings: New powerhouse at the top?

Sonoma Raceway, NASCAR (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Sonoma Raceway, NASCAR (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, NASCAR
Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Team Penske, NASCAR (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) /

NASCAR team power rankings: No. 4 – Team Penske

Team Penske find themselves on the top of the board among Ford teams. Joey Logano has already punched his ticket into the playoffs with two wins, and Austin Cindric looks to be a lock with his Daytona 500, even if there end up being more than 16 winners.

Cindric may be adapting to the Cup Series level with some growing pains, just as any other rookie would, but his road course experience makes him a threat to earn more victories.

Ryan Blaney grabbed a checkered flag (two, actually) as well, but his win came in the non-points-paying All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Nevertheless, Blaney has scored three pole positions, five top five finishes, and eight top 10 finishes, and he leads the series in stage wins with four. The driver of the #12 Ford has quietly been performing well, and a win should be in his future.

All three drivers seem to be dialed in at a variety of venues, with Logano winning at unique-shaped ovals in Darlington Raceway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Cindric winning on a superspeedway, and Blaney winning on a 1.5-mile oval.

Team Penske leadership, driven by team owner Roger Penske, definitely deserves credit for the team’s success. A historic name in motorsports as whole, “The Captain” should be pleased by the performance his drivers have shown throughout the first half of the regular season.