The Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series drivers experienced mixed fortunes during the Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, as Ryan Blaney secured an impressive eighth-place finish while Austin Cindric faced adversity and wound up 32nd. Joey Logano managed to recover from a tough start to finish 15th, as all three Penske drivers navigated varying strategies and on-track challenges in the season’s first road course event.
Austin Cindric’s Setbacks and Reflections
Starting 28th, Austin Cindric worked diligently to move forward in his No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse, managing a 12th-place result in Stage 1 despite reporting that the
“front tires were fading more than the rears,”
according to Cindric, Driver. His team opted for strategic pit stops at crucial moments, allowing him to climb positions throughout the second stage and restart Stage 3 in the 13th spot. Cindric even broke into the top 10 during the final stage, but a left-front tire failure forced an unscheduled pit stop. This setback dropped him to 33rd, and he ultimately finished 32nd, unable to regain lost ground.
Reflecting on the tough day, Cindric shared,
“It was a frustrating day for us. We worked our way into the top 10 in the final stage and felt like we had something to build on, but obviously that didn’t pan out. We learned a lot about this setup, and I’m proud of the No. 2 Discount Tire team for sticking with it all afternoon. We’ll regroup and look ahead to Phoenix, which has been a strong track for our team.”
– Austin Cindric, Driver.
Ryan Blaney’s Breakthrough Performance
Ryan Blaney delivered the standout result for Team Penske at Austin, claiming eighth after running near the front for much of the race in his No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Blaney started fourth and quickly moved into the top three, even leading for eight laps and opening a five-second margin. Strategic pit calls by crew chief Jonathan Hassler allowed Blaney to remain competitive, bringing him to pit road from the lead near the end of Stage 1 to set up a favorable start for the next segment. Throughout the second stage, Blaney stayed within a second of the leader, ultimately finishing the stage seventh after another timely pit stop.
Blaney restarted from the front row after the stage caution and was a consistent threat at the sharp end of the field. With just one pit stop in the final run, Blaney rejoined in 11th and surged back into the top three before a late-race caution bunched the field. Despite holding third at the final restart, he fell to eighth over the closing laps as other teams with fresher tires advanced. Nevertheless, Blaney led 11 laps, the most he’s ever led at Circuit of the Americas, and leapfrogged four spots in the driver points standings.
After the race, Blaney commented,
“I just lost grip. I don’t know. I just kind of lost grip and lost touch with Shane [van Gisbergen] and Tyler [Reddick]. Yeah, it was weird. I wasn’t really pushing hard like after the green flag pit stop with Tyler, knowing it was going to be a longer run, caution or not. [The tires] didn’t really fire off very good, and I stayed in touch with those guys for maybe five laps, and they just kind of started to slowly lose and then really fall off the cliff. Overall good weekend. I hate that we didn’t finish top-three like I thought we were, but it’s hard to complain about it. We don’t have a great track record here, so we put a solid weekend together, and hopefully build on something.”
– Ryan Blaney, Driver.
Joey Logano Fights Back for Top-Fifteen Result
Joey Logano’s day in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse was a story of perseverance and smart strategy. Beginning from 20th, Logano initially gained some track position before his crew chief, Paul Wolfe, made the call to pit just before the end of Stage 1. This move temporarily set Logano back but enabled a seventh-place restart for Stage 2. Another strategic pit stop before the end of Stage 2 allowed Logano to cycle forward as other teams pitted under caution, putting him 10th with significant racing yet to come.
As the race unfolded, Logano’s team executed a two-stop plan in the closing laps, aiming to take advantage of fresher tires. After stopping under green with 29 laps to go, Logano worked his way up toward the front until a pit road mishap during a caution, when he was blocked in by another car, caused a loss of positions. Restarting 30th with 17 laps to the finish, Logano made an impressive rally to gain 15th at the checkered flag.
Logano reflected,
“We made the most of our day. What we lacked in pace at times we were able to make up for with the strategy calls we made to gain a few spots here and there. We had the opportunity to go on offense at the end by two-stopping it and did what we could on that final run. There’s a lot to look forward to these next few weeks to see where we stack up.”
– Joey Logano, Driver.
Looking Ahead: Next Stop at Phoenix Raceway
Team Penske’s drivers and crews leave the Circuit of the Americas with valuable data and experience as they prepare for the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, March 8. The squad, which demonstrated strategic flexibility and resilience on the Austin road course, will aim to build on their road course learnings and bounce back on the desert oval, a venue where Cindric noted the team has seen positive results in the past. Coverage of the Phoenix race will air on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
With Blaney climbing in the standings, Cindric eager for redemption, and Logano seeking further improvements, Team Penske remains determined to convert lessons from Texas into stronger results in the coming weeks.
