Jonathan Hassler will always be known as the crew chief who guided Ryan Blaney to his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.
It was eight years in the making for Blaney. For Hassler, it was his second as a crew chief in NASCAR’s top series. But his presence in the sport and within the Team Penske organization dates back to 2008 when he joined as a race engineer.
“I’ve been at Team Penske a long time, and Ryan and I had a little bit of a relationship on the side while I was working with some of the other teams,” Hassler said. “He became a friend of mine with some shared interests. When Todd retired, and we had some other people moving around, it was certainly the best opportunity available. He’s got tons of speed and tons of talent, and I wanted to get on board.”
Hassler is Blaney’s third crew chief in eight seasons, following Jeremy Bullins (2016-2019) and Gordon (2020-2021). Hassler and Blaney were paired together before the 2022 season, and although they won the All-Star Race in the summer, they went winless in points-paying events. And in the postseason, it was another disappointing Round of 8 exit for Blaney.
But there was a solid foundation built for the success that came in 2023. Over the winter, Hassler and Blaney went over notes as well as the list his driver prepared about how to achieve their goals, areas of struggle, and areas where they did things well.