Is RFK the top Ford team right now?

wi_racefan said:
Outside of the #12 it just seems like penske is way off this year. RFK is definitely better across all 3 drivers this year.
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RFK has improved and they are doing a great job,
and they are better at Darlington.

But I would still consider Penske to be the best overall Ford operation in Nascar.
 
Revman said:
It is so weird how far off Penske has been. The fact that Blaney can still drive it makes it even weirder.
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I wonder if there was something wrong or flawed with Logano's car Sunday. A hidden crack or bad weld in the frame, rear-end housing, bad shock etc...?
I can get not having top ten speed from anyone on a given day. It is just hard to believe they just missed a setup to the tune of being one of the very slowest cars, and impossible to adjust cars on the track.

Tuesday morning racing is a lot easier than Sundays. But I think they would been better off going behind the wall and adjusting and and essentially practicing, versus just making laps in P34 most of the day. Unless they had already discovered a problem that couldn't be addressed during the race.
 
I feel like Logano has quietly "lost a step" the past few years. Cindric actually seems a little bit better but that isn't hard to do when you run p25 for 3 years straight.
 
I agree that RFK is the best Ford team right now. But it’s a long season. We have all watched drivers and teams come out of the gate flying only to be passed down the backstretch or around the final turn. Penske has done a good job at this over the last several years. I think the Logano and Blaney combo eventually pulls ahead of RFK but as much as I like Cindric I am not sure he will ever be a top contender.
 
Revman said:
It is so weird how far off Penske has been. The fact that Blaney can still drive it makes it even weirder.
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Blaney is a top 4 talent in the sport imo. If he was at JGR or HMS he'd have 10 more wins by now.

Blaney is really really really good. Larson, Denny, and maybe Joey are the only drivers I would take over him.
 
jaqua19 said:
Blaney is a top 4 talent in the sport imo. If he was at JGR or HMS he'd have 10 more wins by now.

Blaney is really really really good. Larson, Denny, and maybe Joey are the only drivers I would take over him.
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I agree. I'd kill to get him in one of MY Toyotas.
 
It used to be for the teams that they just needed to concentrate on winning a single race and then they could turn their attention to the playoffs. Penske's success in the old playoff system was predicated on that. Logano's performance this year isn't that much different from how he did in 2024 through 6:


This is who he is and this is why people like myself wanted to go back to season long points.
 
Speedbowl14 said:
I feel like Logano has quietly "lost a step" the past few years. Cindric actually seems a little bit better but that isn't hard to do when you run p25 for 3 years straight.
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It's just that Joey has already given up on winning the championship this year what with the changes made to the format . . . :cool:
 
Speedbowl14 said:
I feel like Logano has quietly "lost a step" the past few years. Cindric actually seems a little bit better but that isn't hard to do when you run p25 for 3 years straight.
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I don't know all the causes, but I don't think of it in terms of Logano losing a step.

I personally think the #12 car, including Blaney, is currently better than the #22 or Logano (just my subjective opinion; I can't prove the point, and your mileage may vary).

I think a strong argument could be made for Blaney as the current best driver, and the key word is "current." That can obviously change or be flipped in a short period of time, especially with the way Reddick is currently performing.

I think there is a real contrast between the driving styles. I think Blaney has the classic long-run speed and is the better of the two at managing tires during long green runs. NASCAR isn't as eager to wave the caution flag this year (I love it), and that is better for Blaney's results.

But I think Logano is more of a tenacious bulldog type on short runs, restarts, GWCs, and elimination races or scenarios. A caution-happy type of Race Control suited his strengths better. I am not a gambler, but if I were, I could easily see myself changing my bet between the two drivers based on the expected number of cautions.

Logano was masterful at understanding the old playoff elimination "win and you're in" format, probably the best, and could be thought of as brilliant in clutch situations.

He will have to adjust to the changes, and he will. I am just not sure if he will completely catch up to Blaney's seemingly natural and exceptional long-run speed.

The two contrasting styles have been good for Penske; they had it covered with two of the best who can beat you both ways. Penske may have to adjust, it is no longer an elimination finale at Phoenix to settle it all, or a caution happy world.

Cindric is probably better than the idea of the kid who got in with a family connection. He has good speed but will usually fade away in the latter stages. He future or ride might be safe for many more years to come, who knows? But he will never be in the same class or level as Blaney and Logano, but that would be a tough criteria for almost anyone.

I would have felt the same about all of the above prior to Darlington. I wouldn't be super alarmed by Logano's slow pace last week. He is better than that, and I think it was a one-off thing.

I want to reiterate that this is a very subjective post based on my opinions alone. I expect some to disagree, maybe even the majority. Just my opinion and no more.
 
Greg said:
I don't know all the causes, but I don't think of it in terms of Logano losing a step.

I personally think the #12 car, including Blaney, is currently better than the #22 or Logano (just my subjective opinion; I can't prove the point, and your mileage may vary).

I think a strong argument could be made for Blaney as the current best driver, and the key word is "current." That can obviously change or be flipped in a short period of time, especially with the way Reddick is currently performing.

I think there is a real contrast between the driving styles. I think Blaney has the classic long-run speed and is the better of the two at managing tires during long green runs. NASCAR isn't as eager to wave the caution flag this year (I love it), and that is better for Blaney's results.

But I think Logano is more of a tenacious bulldog type on short runs, restarts, GWCs, and elimination races or scenarios. A caution-happy type of Race Control suited his strengths better. I am not a gambler, but if I were, I could easily see myself changing my bet between the two drivers based on the expected number of cautions.

Logano was masterful at understanding the old playoff elimination "win and you're in" format, probably the best, and could be thought of as brilliant in clutch situations.

He will have to adjust to the changes, and he will. I am just not sure if he will completely catch up to Blaney's seemingly natural and exceptional long-run speed.

The two contrasting styles have been good for Penske; they had it covered with two of the best who can beat you both ways. Penske may have to adjust, it is no longer an elimination finale at Phoenix to settle it all, or a caution happy world.

Cindric is probably better than the idea of the kid who got in with a family connection. He has good speed but will usually fade away in the latter stages. He future or ride might be safe for many more years to come, who knows? But he will never be in the same class or level as Blaney and Logano, but that would be a tough criteria for almost anyone.

I would have felt the same about all of the above prior to Darlington. I wouldn't be super alarmed by Logano's slow pace last week. He is better than that, and I think it was a one-off thing.

I want to reiterate that this is a very subjective post based on my opinions alone. I expect some to disagree, maybe even the majority. Just my opinion and no more.
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That's a fine, very thoughtful post, Greg. I agree with most everything you said.

I think it's a bit ironic that all three of those Penske drivers have had their career shaped (in a beneficial way) by one man other than Roger Penske... Brad Keselowski. Certainly Penske has been the key guy, but Brad gave an important "assist" just when Joey, Blaney, and Austin needed it most.

In 2013, Logano had been fired by Gibbs, and it seemed nobody else was interested in the guy. He expected to be on the street looking for an Xfinity (Nationwide?) ride. Brad went to Roger... said Logano is a real shoe and you should hire him for the 22. So Roger did. To this day he gives credit to Brad for the hire.

Ryan Blaney was 18 years old and without much if any money behind him when Brad put him in a BKR truck for the back half of the 2012 season. Blaney is always quick to express his gratitude to Brad for giving him his first big opportunity in Nascar.

Brad undoubtedly helped Cindric... by leaving the 2 car to go to Roush as co-owner and driver of the 6. Austin was slated for the 21, but late in the silly season hiring cycle the 2 became vacant and Cindric got the nod. Frankly, I doubt that Cindric would have ever advanced to the 2 if he had driven the 21 for a year or two. His results weren't good enough, IMO.

P.S.- I think Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece would also add their names to the list of drivers Brad has helped a lot.
 
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