Ford's playoff hopes hinge on Ryan Blaney as Joey Logano and Austin Cindric teeter on the edge

Ford’s 2025 NASCAR season has swung between glimpses of promise and frustrating underperformance. All eyes are on Ryan Blaney as his teammates, Joey Logano and Austin Cindric, find themselves teetering just above the elimination line heading into the Round of 12 of the playoffs. The manufacturer's hopes hinge almost singularly on Blaney carrying the torch forward.

Blaney has been the most consistent Ford driver this year. He has collected more top-5 and top-10 finishes than many of his counterparts, kept out of costly mistakes, and delivered in races where precision counted. While he doesn’t always win, his ability to stay ahead of the elimination curve makes him the manufacturer's most reliable path forward.

Meanwhile, Logano and Cindric have had good runs but often find themselves on the wrong side of unfortunate moments, such as restart missteps, pit timing issues, or simply getting caught in traffic or incidents. Their margin for error has shrunk big time as they find themselves teetering around the cutoff line, ranked tenth and ninth.

NASCAR: Joey Logano leads teammates Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric - Source: Imagn

With four drivers to be eliminated after the Round of 12 scheduled through New Hampshire, Kansas, and the Charlotte Roval, every point and every race becomes critical. Ryan Blaney holds 5th place at the moment, comfortably inside the cutoff line for advancement with a 19-point advantage. Austin Cindric lies only one point above elimination, while Joey Logano lies two points above elimination.

The driver will be back in action for the USA Today 301 race this weekend at New Hampshire, where the Mustangs showed strong performance last year with three cars in the top five.

Ford trails against Chevrolet and Toyota as the race for the playoffs gets closer

As the NASCAR Cup playoffs move deeper into the Round of 12, the manufacturer battle tells a stark story: Ford is lagging while Chevrolet and Toyota continue to set the pace around the grid.

With both Chevrolet and Toyota stacking up 12 wins this season, Ford’s five victories stand out as a reminder of just how tough the 2025 season has been for them. After 25 races, Chevrolet leads the manufacturers' standings with 1056 points, Toyota follows with 1040 points, and Ford trails third with 967 points. That disparity in victories reflects a deeper issue: consistency.

The Mustang drivers have flashed speed and moments of brilliance, but too often have fallen short, whether in qualifying, pit strategy, or race finishes, when everything needed to align. These lapses have added up over the season.

NASCAR: Bass Pro Shops Night Race - Source: Imagn

If Ford fails to get two of its drivers safely through the Round of 12, the manufacturer will not only lose influence but also morale. Wins are few this season, and with Chevy and Toyota outpacing them in key moments, the manufacturer risks being left to play catch-up in a playoff run where momentum often matters as much as raw speed.