Ryan Blaney could almost see the checkered flag. At Darlington, his No. 12 Team Penske Ford was flying on fresh tires, eating up track and slicing through the field. He was catching Tyler Reddick like a shark smelling blood. On Lap 290, they found themselves side-by-side as Blaney edged ahead. The crowd roared. However, it was short-lived as chaos ensued. A crash behind them triggered a caution. Suddenly, the strategy shifted to pit road execution.
Blaney pitted from the lead, but when the dust settled, he rolled off fourth. A clean final stop wasn’t enough as teams like Denny Hamlin’s had already nailed mid-eight-second stops. And just like that, a potential win turned into a fifth-place finish. Afterward, Blaney stood on pit road, frustrated but composed. “Yeah, we’ve just got some things to work on, you know?” he said. “I mean, I make mistakes. I screw up a lot. Those guys don’t have great stops every now and then. It’s just part of the sport.”
However, the team had seen enough. Now, two weeks after that incident, Team Penske announces a major shuffle in Ryan Blaney’s Team 12 crew. Keiston France has replaced longtime front tire changer Ryan ‘Skip’ Flores. But the decision sparked immediate backlash. What seemed like a routine personnel switch quickly became a lightning rod as fans failed to buy it.
On Thursday, Team Penske relieved veteran front tire changer and Stacking Pennies co-host Skip Flores of his duties on Blaney’s team. Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports broke the news on social media. “Ryan Blaney’s crew has struggled, so Penske makes a change for Talladega,” he posted. “Keiston France in at front changer, replaces Skip Flores.” In a follow-up post, he confirmed that Front Row Motorsports would now place Flores on the No. 38 car.
Penske, which provides pit crews for Front Row Motorsports, orchestrated the swap during the season’s only off-week. This will give both France and Flores enough time to fit into the groups. While Penske may see this as a performance fix, many fans and analysts see it as a scapegoat move. The numbers don’t lie: Blaney’s team had a clean final stop at Darlington. The issue was not a glaring failure, but an incremental loss in tenths of a second.
Front Row Motorsports confirms that Skip Flores, formerly on the Ryan Blaney car, will be the front changer for Zane Smith starting at Talladega. Penske provides the pit crew for Smith and his former front changer Keiston France moves to Blaney’s car starting at Talladega. https://t.co/RA68Sn2c4J
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 17, 2025
His crew chief, Jonathan Hassler, acknowledged, “Our last stop was clean. A 9.3. But guys were running low 8s.” He didn’t point fingers—just areas for growth. That nuance is lost in the optics of firing Flores. One fan nailed it bluntly: “I don’t think 1 guy is gonna fix it.” And they’re not wrong. Blaney’s team has been consistently strong this year, with three top-five finishes and 92 stage points—more than anyone else. But pit road miscues have cost them positions in key moments, like dropping 20 spots across the day at Darlington.
But there is another side to the coin as well. Keiston France isn’t a random name pulled from a roster. He’s a rising star, molded through NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program. A former college tennis player from NC A&T State University, France, trained under legendary pit coach Phil Horton. Notably, Horton revolutionized pit crew culture by bringing in athletes, not just mechanics, to execute high-pressure stops. France embraced that vision, worked hard, and now finds itself on a championship-caliber team.
“I would tell friends all the time in high school, ‘I’m going to go pit a race car,’” France once said. Now, he’s doing exactly that. He’s known for discipline, strength, and sharp reflexes. Even Flores once praised him on the Stacking Pennies podcast, calling him “the hardest working front tire changer on pit road.” That quote resurfaced quickly after the crew change.
However, Flores himself isn’t just any pit crew guy. He races TQ midgets and stock cars, runs a powder coating business, and speaks as a respected voice in the sport. His demotion doesn’t just feel like a crew swap, it feels personal to fans who have followed his career. The inconsistency, both on the stopwatch and in management decisions, is what has fans calling out.
Fans are frustrated with the Penske crew swap!
The response to Roger Penske’s decision from the NASCAR community has been strong and emotional. Many fans aren’t sold on the idea that a single pit crew change will magically solve the No. 12 team’s issues. Adding to the controversy is the fact that Flores and France have publicly supported each other. One fan pointed, “I remember Flores praising France one time on his podcast, saying that he’s the hardest working front tire changer on pit road.”
This made the move even more awkward. Was it a mutual show of respect—or a sign that Roger Penske had replaced a proven veteran with a guy still building his resume? Another observation hit hard: “Which is wild, because they had their fastest stop of the year at Bristol.” That nugget only fuels the belief that Flores was unfairly targeted. Many believe that the pit crew had issues, yes, but not all the time.
Meanwhile, some struck a more measured tone: “I’m glad they’re trying to get better, but I do not know enough about pit crews to judge any particular move.” That honesty speaks to a broader truth—pit crew chemistry is delicate. One small change can improve timing or throw everything off. Some fans leaned into sarcasm. “Stacking Demotions,” joked one, referring to Flores’ popular podcast with Corey LaJoie.
Notably, Blaney’s team is still sixth in the standings. Zane Smith’s team is 24th. Both lead their three-car organizations. The pit crew swap might help. But it might also fracture chemistry. That’s the risk Penske now faces. Next stop is Talladega, and it’s a wild card race. Speed and timing are everything. One mistake on pit road can end a day in seconds. Blaney is still hunting for his first win of the season. If another late-race stop goes sideways, fans will point fingers—and this time, not at Flores.
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