Ryan Blaney “proud” of his team’s effort to finish an impressive P3 at Atlanta playoff race

Ryan Blaney secured a third-place finish at the Quaker State 400, following which the Ohio native expressed his gratitude to the #12 Team Penske crew for their exceptional performance at Atlanta.

The reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Blaney was one of the top contenders for the 2024 regular season title. With two wins at Iowa Speedway and Pocono Raceway, respectively, along with 12 Top 10s and seven Top 5 finishes in 25 races, the 30-year-old driver was aiming for the regular championship at Darlington Raceway. However, he eventually finished fifth in the driver's standings.

Despite facing numerous challenges, the #12 team kept its focus on the playoff season. Blaney began the race in P2. However, a crash with Chris Buescher and Martin Truex Jr. saw him drop to ninth place. Even with substantial damage to his Ford Mustang Dark Horse race car, both Blaney and his team executed a masterful strategy throughout the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

This allowed the Team Penske driver to end the race in P3, behind his teammate Joey Logano and Trackhouse Racing Team's Daniel Saurez. Blaney's third-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway propelled him four positions in the driver standings, securing his current lead. As a token of appreciation, the NASCAR racer has thanked his team via a message on his X page.

Here's a look at the post, captioned,

We had a really good day overall. To come back from the incident like we did and to finish third is a testament to the hard work and unity of this 12-team. Proud of everyone at @team_penske and Congratulations to @joeylogano and the 22-team.

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“That’s what I’ve told my guys: I want to scare every other team,” - Ryan Blaney on #12 Team Penske's mindset for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs

Although Ryan Blaney lost the shot at winning the 2024 regular season championship, the Ohio-based driver is mentally prepared to win the Playoffs this year. The reigning Cup Series champion has also requested the team to stay strong through the elimination-style season.

The 30-year-old, spoke about the aggressive mindset he expects from the #12 Team Penske squad during the Cup Series Playoffs Media Day.

“That’s what I’ve told my guys: I want to scare every other team. Like, I want you guys to be so good that everyone is nervous about us when we unload. That’s the kind of the mindset that we’ve tried to have because I think that’s a great mindset for everyone on the team to have. Like, you want everybody worrying about you because you can be that dangerous, and I think we definitely are,” he said.

With Blaney currently leading the driver standings after the Atlanta race, the team will be looking to retain the Cup Series trophy.