Penske Makes Another Change to Ryan Blaney’s Pit Crew
What’s Happening? Following their initial change to Ryan Blaney’s pit crew, Team Penske is again changing jackmen for the No. 12…
Former Team Penske pit crew member Ryan “Skip” Flores says that Ryan Blaney’s pit crew has “gotta get better” after another trying weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Ryan Blaney has had everything going his way this season, a fast car, front-running pace, the points to take on Tyler Redick, everything that is, except a reliable pit crew to support it.
In fact, through the first eight races of 2026, the No. 12 team has lost 88 positions on pit road, a glaring weakness that resurfaced again at Bristol Motor Speedway.
After this showing at Bristol, the conversation surrounding the No. 12 team has grown, and now, former Team Penske crew member Ryan “Skip” Flores has joined the conversation, calling for immediate changes and laying the issue bare.
Speaking on the Stacking Pennies podcast, he co-hosts with former Cup regular Corey LaJoie, Flores addressed the issue from a crew member’s mindset, saying, “Now look, they have zero confidence. They’re gonna have zero confidence. The one thing they did this week, yes, they lost a bunch of spots, but they kept them in the race.
Nonetheless, despite the optimistic look, Flores said something has to change.
“Look, it’s gotta get better. We can’t hide from it anymore, we can’t fluff it, it’s gotta get better.” — Ryan Flores
That said, Flores, who was Blaney’s tire changer until last year, acknowledged that the Bristol race wasn’t a complete failure on pit road.
According to him, the No. 12 crew avoided major mistakes like loose wheels, penalties, or equipment interference that trapped others deep in the field.
“They did everything they had to do to win the race… They didn’t do that to him; they kept him in the top-10,” he added.
Despite sitting second in the standings, Blaney’s pit crew metrics remain among the worst in the series. The Food City 500 saw the No. 12 crew drop the driver to an agonizingly slow 12-second pit stop while his competitors made crucial ground.
Reflecting on the broader issue, Flores continued, “When you’re pitting from the lead, and you’re going out sixth, there’s gotta be something that changes. There comes a point where it’s ‘Okay, we’ve given you guys enough runway. Something’s gotta change.'”
It seems the team has listened to the warnings of Flores and others, as they are making one change at a crucial spot for this weekend’s race at Kansas, with Noah Gragson’s jackman, Graham Stoddard, in place of the usual No. 12 jackman, Landon Honeycutt.
What’s Happening? Following their initial change to Ryan Blaney’s pit crew, Team Penske is again changing jackmen for the No. 12…
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