In a thrilling and unpredictable Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Team Penske faced difficult tire issues but managed to achieve a top-10 finish and lead multiple laps, showcasing their determination during a drama-filled NASCAR Cup Series contest. This Team Penske Indianapolis NASCAR Cup Series recap highlights the team‘s resilience at a historic race marked by strategic challenges, sudden weather, and intense on-track incidents.
Representing Team Penske, drivers Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano encountered a mixture of race highs and unfortunate tire problems that significantly impacted their paths throughout the event. From leading hefty portions of the contest to being set back by flats, the organization maintained focus until the final lap amid a chaotic closing sequence.
Austin Cindric’s Strong Start Undone by Tire Problem
Austin Cindric, piloting the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse, started the race from the 10th position and quickly asserted himself among the frontrunners. Early in the event, he advanced to ninth and capitalized on a Lap 18 caution, remaining on track while others pitted, which vaulted him into the lead. Cindric noted that his car performed well in clean air conditions and he led a race-high 40 laps during the afternoon.
The team‘s decision to pit under green with eight laps remaining in Stage 1 caused Cindric to drop back, finishing the segment in 31st. Recovering during the caution, he restarted Stage 2 in fourth, utilizing the team’s strategy adjustments to briefly regain the lead as others made their scheduled stops. However, disaster struck when Cindric suffered a blown right-rear tire just over 15 laps before the end of Stage 2, forcing him to make an unscheduled pit stop. He received right-side tires, finishing the segment in 24th.
After receiving the free pass and a complete tire and fuel service, Cindric returned for the final stage, maintaining his position on the lead lap. As the concluding laps approached, a light rain in Turn 1 brought out a red flag with six laps to go, positioning Cindric in 20th for the ensuing overtime finish. Navigating late-race turmoil, Cindric battled back and crossed the finish line in 15th place, demonstrating admirable perseverance through adversity.
“We had a really strong Discount Tire Ford Mustang today. It was great to lead laps and have pace up front, just unfortunate to have a tire go down. Proud of the fight from everyone to battle back and get a solid finish out of it.”
—Austin Cindric, Driver
Ryan Blaney Scores Fifth Stage Win and Another Top-10
Ryan Blaney, driving the No. 12 Menards/Delta Ford Mustang Dark Horse, started from 24th and delivered a measured drive to secure seventh-place, marking his tenth top-10 result of the season. During the opening stage, Blaney methodically moved through the field, finishing Stage 1 in 12th as strategic decisions began unfolding across the pit cycles.
Stage 2 saw Blaney restart deep in the order but rise to third as pit stop strategies played out. A late caution prompted crew chief Jonathan Hassler to keep Blaney on track, allowing him to take the lead. Blaney successfully defended his position, sealing his fifth stage victory of the season. The aggressive fuel-saving strategy resulted in Blaney pitting just before the caution, relegating him to the back of the field, but agile tactics allowed him to climb to the front again by lap 128.
With ten laps remaining, Blaney made a final scheduled pit stop as the field prepared for the finish. A rain shower brought out a red flag with four laps to go, placing Blaney in 22nd for the green-white-checkered attempt. Evading a multi-car incident on the first overtime try, he jumped from 13th to seventh on the final restart, returning another solid points day for Team Penske.
“Yeah, we pieced together a good day. Starting towards the back, it’s just hard to make up ground and pass, so we were trying to do the best job of strategy that we could. We made good moves to win the stage. I knew we were going to pay the price for it, but it was hard to give it up and nice when you’re able to hang on like that. We just scratched and clawed and were able to finish seventh. It was a day where we weren’t the best, but we made something happen, and those are the days that we should be proud of.”
—Ryan Blaney, Driver
Joey Logano’s Race-Leading Run Halted by Tire and Crash
Joey Logano’s outing in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse showed promise for victory but ultimately ended in disappointment. Qualifying 15th, Logano quickly moved up, aided by a decision from crew chief Paul Wolfe to remain on-track during an early caution. This move placed Logano near the front for the restart, and he maintained his position through the first green flag run, pitting on lap 41 and finishing Stage 1 in 34th due to strategy sequencing.
The team cycled into sixth for the start of Stage 2 and settled into eighth. As green flag pit stops unfolded, Logano again seized the lead with 17 laps left in the stage before pitting for four tires and fuel. Another caution allowed him to resume the stage inside the top-10, ultimately finishing eighth in Stage 2.
During the final segment, varying strategies played out, and Logano’s early pit stop for right-side tires and fuel vaulted him ahead once the cycle finished. However, with 26 laps left, a flat right-rear tire forced an unexpected green flag stop. Intense mechanical problems followed as the car lost power leaving the pit box, sending Logano two laps down. After a brief red flag for rain, he lined up 27th for overtime, only to be collected by a multi-car incident entering Turn 3, resulting in damage that ended his race, leaving him with a 32nd-place finish.
“We had the race-winning strategy, just unfortunately didn’t get a chance to see it all the way through after we lost the right rear. [Crew chief] Paul [Wolfe] and the guys hit on everything all day with staying out during that first caution to get us track position early and it seemed like it was only going to be a matter of holding off everyone behind us and having enough fuel for the final 20 or so laps. Disappointed to see it end that way but still proud of the effort this weekend”
—Joey Logano, Driver
Strategic Decisions, Red Flags, and Weather Shape the Race
The Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway featured multiple lead changes and a parade of varied pit strategies, particularly as Team Penske navigated both advantages and setbacks from their tire calls. Red flag conditions for light rain over Turn 1 and later the full track played a critical role, bunching up the field for overtime finishes and increasing on-track tension. Team Penske’s personnel, including crew chiefs like Paul Wolfe and Jonathan Hassler, applied creative thinking throughout to maximize opportunity in changing conditions.
Action during the closing stages featured incidents affecting several front-runners, including a crash that ultimately ended Logano’s race. Cindric and Blaney managed to avoid major late-race incidents, rallying to bring home beneficial finishes for the organization. The intense dynamic on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s demanding layout saw the likes of Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, and Joey Logano battling a roster of contenders and unpredictable weather, with the Brickyard 400 living up to its crown jewel status on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar.
Looking Ahead: Iowa Speedway Next for NASCAR Cup Series
Following the dramatic afternoon in Indianapolis, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Iowa Speedway on Sunday, August 3. Ryan Blaney returns to Iowa as the defending race winner and will seek to build on his Brickyard momentum, alongside teammates Cindric and Logano. The transition to Iowa also marks the beginning of the season’s NBC broadcasting schedule covering the remainder of the championship run.
Coverage of the Iowa race will begin at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on NBC, with radio coverage available via MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Fans will look for Team Penske’s continued efforts to deliver strong results as the battle for playoff positions heats up, and crews aim to convert improved pace and strategy into further top results for the organization.
The experiences at Indianapolis, including Cindric’s leadership at the front, Blaney’s stage win and top-10, as well as Logano’s strategy plays, demonstrate Team Penske’s ongoing resilience and sharpness. Each member of the team, including standout crew chiefs and pit road squads, will carry lessons learned as attention shifts to the next high-stakes challenge at Iowa Speedway.
