That’s two weekends in a row that the Penske Fords have been to victory lane. Is the Blue Oval slump over?
If there’s one think that’s consistent in NASCAR, it’s that dominance doesn’t last long. No matter how pathetically bad a team or manufacturer seems in February or March, there’s a solid chance that they’ll get things figured out later in the summer, shaking up the points standings heading down the stretch. That’s exactly what appears to be happening now.
Joey Logano may have had a rough season leading up to this point, but he can now lay claim to being the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to win a points-paying race at North Wilkesboro since Jeff Gordon won the Tyson/Holly Farms 400 back in September of 1996. In the same way that North Wilkesboro rose from the ashes, so too did Penske Racing, and by extension, Ford’s fortunes in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series.
After their back-to-back wins, Ryan Blaney remains third in points, while Logano has crept up to 15th, just five points behind Shane van Gisbergen. SVG, who led laps last Sunday, produced one of the season’s most memorable soundbites due to some tongue-in-cheek radio banter with his crew – “I’m leading. What the f*** do I do now?” It’s worth mentioning that the other Penske car – the #2 driven by Austin Cindric – currently sits in 16th.
If the playoffs started today, all three Penske cars would be in. Talk about flying under the radar. The Fords may not be as flashy as the Toyotas this year – Denny Hamlin nearly nabbed another win on Sunday, extending his championship lead over Tyler Reddick to 68 points. Both championship-leading Toyotas seem like they could be the car to beat for the regular-season championship, but with the speed the Fords are showing lately, the party may be over for Toyota.
In other news, Alex Bowman just announced that he plans to retire after the end of the 2027 season, citing injury concerns and a desire to explore other avenues in his life. We will enjoy watching the rest of his career, and we (somewhat prematurely) wish him a happy and healthy retirement.
Image: Associated Press
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