Ryan Blaney hails 'well-oiled' Team Penske machine as NASCAR playoffs intensify

Team Penske star Ryan Blaney is in good spirits as the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs hit New Hampshire this weekend.

Following last weekend's chaotic Round of 16 finale at Bristol, four drivers were eliminated from the postseason, with Blaney being one of the names to advance.

The Team Penske star and 11 of his rivals are now set to embark on the Round of 12, which will see them duke it out at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, after which another four further names will be cut from championship contention.

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Blaney: Everyone is extremely confident

Blaney heads to New Hampshire in excellent form, having achieved four top-five finishes in his last five outings, including his fine victory in the regular season finale at Daytona.

It's clear that the No. 12 driver has some serious momentum at this stage, and Blaney puts it down to the well-oiled Team Penske machine behind him.

“I feel like we’ve just kind of gotten into this good rhythm, and that stuff just grows over time,” Blaney explained to the media this week.

“I just think we’re executing the way we need to. I feel like our mindset is just in a good place right now, where everyone’s extremely confident in themselves and their ability, and they believe it, and that stuff definitely helps, you know? So it’s the belief that we can do it.

"And you know, we’ve had the belief that we can do it the last two, three years. They’re poised to do it, and it’s really fun to be part of a group like that that has that mindset, like everyone’s clicking together, everyone has each other’s backs, like if I make a mistake, they’re right there to support me. If they make a mistake, I support them.

“That’s just how a team works. So yeah, I just think we are a pretty well-oiled machine.”

Sunday's playoff race at New Hampshire kicks off at 2pm ET and will be broadcast live on USA.

Blaney heads into the race fifth in the playoff standings, currently +19 to the cutoff line.

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