After just a couple of years together, Ryan Blaney and Jonathan Hassler have become NASCAR champions, and there is more to do. Blaney and Hassler were paired up in 2022 and have gone on to rack up wins and a Bill France Cup.
The first came as Ryan Blaney won the All-Star Race in 2022. While they didn’t get a points-paying win, 2023 changed all of that. A Coca-Cola 600 win, a photo finish at Talladega, and a Martinsville grandfather clock later and Blaney was hoisting the championship trophy.
The relationship between driver and crew chief is of utmost importance. Blaney talked about his bond with Hassler in a recent video from Team Penske.
“You know I think since Jonathan and I started working together in 2022, you just get to know the person. You get to know each other better off the track and at the race track. Kind of figuring out each other’s likes and dislikes and what I like behind the wheel. I kind of get the feel for what he likes to change, how he calls race.
“So you just build that relationship. The past year and a half has been great and that bond just gets stronger with time, really. As you learn to communicate with each other a little better and know each other’s little tendencies. And I think that’s a positive thing, that’s what you have to have in this job.”