Ryan Blaney provides a lesson on on-track etiquette following the JGR drama

Ryan Blaney has shared his reaction following the on-track tensions between Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammates Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs. The 2023 Cup champion beat teammate Joey Logano, who had won the pole position, to collect his third win of the season last Sunday (September 21). He also held off Josh Berry by 0.937 seconds to lock in the Round of 8.

While Blaney broke JGR's three-race win streak, Hamlin was frustrated over Ty Gibbs blocking him during the Round of 12 opener at New Hampshire Speedway. He questioned the team owner's grandson's decisions over the team radio multiple times and later had a contact with Gibbs, which ended his day early.

During a post-win press conference at New Hampshire Speedway, Blaney was asked about the same. The Team Penske driver gave a moral lesson, sharing his etiquette on track while racing teammates.

"When Joey and I race him for the lead, we know what this is for, so fully expect us to race hard but race clean. Like, I was never gonna lay a bumper to Joey trying to get by him there in stage three or stage one... Teammate or not, I didn't want to do it that way, especially with a teammate, like, I'm not just gonna rough you up so but I fully expect to race hard," Ryan Blaney said.

Gibbs' who's the only JGR driver who failed to qualify for the playoffs later also found himself spun out by the No. 11 Toyota on lap 110 of the 301-lap race. Hamlin spoke on the radio during the incident and said:

"Are they afraid to talk to him? That's what I feel like. They're just scared of him."

However, Hamlin gave a calmer response after the race. He said he made a mistake and called the contact unfortunate. The 44-year-old, looking for his first Cup title, has dropped to fifth in the playoff standings and is just three points ahead of Logano before the upcoming race at Kansas Speedway.

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"More beneficial to speak on it sooner than later" - Ryan Blaney on open team communication

Ryan Blaney also believes it is worth it to address issues promptly to maintain team harmony. During the same press conference, he stressed that open communication ends up preventing issues later on.

"I think it's more beneficial to speak on it sooner than later because if you don't speak on it sooner than later, things fester," Ryan Blaney said. "Things can kind of build, so I think the sooner that you can get that stuff out in the open. Just have a conversation with somebody, I think that's always a better way to go about it and everyone's different," he added.

Meanwhile, the second race of the Round of 12 is set for Kansas Speedway this weekend (September 28).

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Edited by Luke Koshi