TALLADEGA, Ala. — Austin Cindric’s dramatic victory in Sunday’s Jack Hyperlink’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway was definitely an enormous confidence increase for the 26-year-old NASCAR Cup Collection star.
Not solely did it punch Cindric’s Playoff ticket however maybe as importantly the success put his iconic Group Penske group again within the winner’s column for the primary time this season.
Regardless of Penske’s three drivers, Cindric, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, being professional contenders in almost all 10 races this season, the crew has been gradual to Victory Lane by the perpetually excessive Penske customary, at the very least, and by the sturdy output week-after-week.
Cindric’s spectacular exhibiting Sunday could have modified the tide, nonetheless.
All three drivers have stage wins and all three had led triple-digit laps on the season, earlier than Cindric hoisted the Talladega trophy. And the Wooden Brothers Racing crew, which operates beneath the Penske technical umbrella received with driver Josh Berry at Las Vegas.
“I believe a mixture of encouragement to heads beating towards the desk,” Cindric mentioned of the difficult begin to the yr for the crew on the whole. “You might have four-five days to recover from your self and check out to not let that bleed into every week. Simply having the ability to watch guys like Ryan [Blaney] and Joey [Logano], these guys are champions, however they undergo adversity similar to the following man, no totally different than in how these races play out.
“I suppose distress loves firm in some methods. I really feel like Ryan’s had his justifiable share of robust breaks this season and I do know there’s a whole lot of energy in our firm and a win like this solely helps the entire crew be capable to push ahead in the identical course, no totally different than the 21 automobile profitable in Vegas this yr and now with us. A concentrated effort to get all our automobiles within the Playoffs is first precedence and I believe this solely helps focus that.”
Maybe most perplexing is that three-time and reigning NASCAR Cup Collection champion Joey Logano, just isn’t solely winless, however nonetheless racing for his first top-five of the yr.
After main laps and searching sturdy Sunday, what appeared like a fifth-place end at Talladega was negated after failing NASCAR’s routine post-race inspection for a unfastened bolt. Logano was dropped to thirty seventh within the official ending order and the crew was fast to situation a mea culpa, saying it could not protest the motion.
“It was not intentional and occurred all through the course of the race occasion. Group Penske accepts the disqualification,” the assertion learn.
Logano’s greatest end now could be eighth at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on March 30 regardless of the very fact his No. 22 has led laps in six races, together with a race greatest 83 at Atlanta, the place he completed twelfth and 81 laps at Phoenix, the place he completed thirteenth. The excellent news is his 284 laps led is fourth most within the collection this yr and regardless of the irritating begin, Logano continues to be ranked eleventh within the championship driver standings.
He was happy and inspired Sunday to see a teammate claiming victory.“It’s about time one in all us wins this stuff,” Logano mentioned. “You consider the quantity of laps led by Group Penske and Ford on the whole and we simply haven’t been capable of shut, so to see a pair Fords there on the entrance row duking it out, I want one in all them was me in a egocentric manner, however it’s additionally good to see these guys working up there and having the ability to click on one off for Penske.”
Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Group Penske Ford, received pole place at Atlanta and has three top-five finishes, however has completely suffered by way of a troublesome opening of the season – a lot of it, like Sunday, not of his doing. At Talladega, he was unavoidably collected in an accident began by Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski as the sector (together with Blaney) was headed to pit street.
The 2023 NASCAR Cup champion led a race greatest 124 laps at Homestead, solely to be sidelined with a uncommon engine failure – the third consecutive race (additionally Phoenix and Las Vegas) the place he didn’t end regardless of promising showings. The excellent news for Blaney is that regardless of the disappointing he’s nonetheless ranked eighth within the championship driver standings and nonetheless an absolute favourite every week.
