Even though Austin Cindric felt thrilled about winning a NASCAR Cup Series race after a long wait, he also felt a bit sad.
Team Penske had high hopes for Sunday’s race near St. Louis. Ryan Blaney, the defending series champion, was leading as the race neared its end. Cindric was right behind, set to secure a 1-2 finish for a struggling team. Joey Logano was also close, aiming to place all three Penske cars in the top five at the finish line.
But just as the race was about to conclude, Blaney’s car slowed down due to running out of fuel. Cindric seized the opportunity and passed him, clinching his second Cup Series victory and his first since the Daytona 500 over two years ago.
Cindric acknowledged the disappointment for Blaney and the team, but he was pleased to secure a spot for the No. 2 car in the Cup Series playoffs. He praised Blaney’s leadership and considered the weekend a success for everyone involved.
However, this season has been challenging for Team Penske. Despite being a strong competitor in NASCAR, they’ve struggled. Cindric’s only top-five finish before this win was back in February at Atlanta.
Blaney had a strong start with three consecutive top-five finishes, but recent races saw him finishing far behind. Logano’s win at the All-Star race was a highlight, but his fifth-place finish on Sunday marked only his second top-five finish in a points race this year.
Last season was quite different. Blaney won three times and became the champion, while Logano had 11 top-five finishes, came second in the Daytona 500, and won at Atlanta.
Team Penske’s disappointing results are similar to other Ford teams. Ford changed to the Mustang Dark Horse body style this season but only got its first win last month with Brad Keselowski at Darlington. Cindric’s win on Sunday was the only other victory for Ford.
Blaney expressed pride for Team Penske and Ford despite running out of fuel near the end of the race. He battled with Christopher Bell, whose engine issues caused him to fall back.
It’s been a turbulent year for Team Penske in IndyCar as well. After the season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida, it was discovered that their cars had illegal push-to-pass software, giving them an unfair advantage.
Newgarden lost his win, and McLaughlin got disqualified. Roger Penske, the team owner, also suspended four key staff members, including Tim Cindric, who is Austin Cindric’s father and the president of Team Penske.
Penske said in an interview that it wasn’t intentional, but the team missed something important. He mentioned that the information was available for everyone to see at the races, and they accepted the consequences and moved forward.
Team Penske showed their strength at the Indy 500. They secured the front row in qualifying, Newgarden won the race with a daring last-lap move, and McLaughlin finished sixth after leading early on.
Although the IndyCar teams faced challenges in Detroit last weekend, the Cup Series teams performed well. Cindric led for the second-most laps, Blaney led for 20 laps, and Logano also led for a lap.
This performance could signal a positive change for the team. Logano expressed satisfaction with the points earned and a Penske car winning the race, which boosts morale throughout the organization.
