Austin Cindric, piloting the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse, started from 36th position in the Daytona 500 but quickly surged into contention before a mid-race collision derailed his strong run. After an early pit stop for fuel on Lap 5, Cindric restarted 15th on Lap 12 and steadily moved up the field, closing Stage 1 in second place. Although his car was reported
“a touch on the free side,”
the team adjusted with fresh tires and fuel. Cindric took the lead on Lap 72 and maintained a competitive pace through Stage 2. However, on Lap 123, he got caught in an accident that caused heavy right-side damage.
Despite the pit crew’s efforts to repair the car and send him back out with 65 laps remaining, the damage was too severe to recover fully. Cindric ultimately finished 34th, marking a disappointing conclusion after a promising start.
Cindric reflected on the race, saying,
“I’m proud of everyone on this No. 2 team. We had a fast Discount Tire Ford all week and put ourselves in position up front. We were able to lead a couple laps and score some stage points. It’s unfortunate how it ended, but we’ll take what we learned and get ready for Atlanta.”
– Austin Cindric, Driver
Ryan Blaney’s Day of Mixed Success Ends in Last-Lap Crash
Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney in the No. 12 Menards/Peak Ford Mustang Dark Horse started fifth and delivered two top-five stage finishes but was ultimately involved in a last-lap multi-car crash that relegated him to 27th place. Leveraging an early caution, Blaney managed fuel strategy well, finishing Stage 1 in third place without having to pit with the majority of the field.
As Stage 2 commenced, Blaney briefly took the lead before a 17-car wreck on Lap 124 shuffled the field, although his car sustained only minor nose damage. After an extended pit stop to inspect and fix the damage, he restarted 22nd with 66 laps left. Navigating heavy traffic, Blaney steadily advanced but got trapped in the pack as the race wound down.
In the final laps, a pit stop with 12 laps remaining and a late caution brought the field together for a four-lap sprint to the finish. Blaney started the restart from 18th but was caught in another crash entering Turn 1 on the final lap, preventing a comeback.
“We were up front a lot early. Not at the end, unfortunately. We spent some time fixing our car after the Stage 2 caution and started in the back and then just kind of got trapped. We never really jumped anything on the pit stop and didn’t go anywhere on the final restart, then got caught up in the wreck into [turn] one. Really good day for the most part, and then at the end just couldn’t get back to the front.”
– Ryan Blaney, Driver
Joey Logano Battles Through Damage to Secure Third Place
Joey Logano and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse team emerged as key contenders in the closing laps of the 68th Daytona 500, ultimately securing a strong third-place finish despite involvement in a late multi-car incident. Starting third, Logano quickly moved to the front by lap 12, extending his streak to 10 consecutive Daytona 500 races with at least one lap led.
During Stage 1, Logano stayed out while many others pitted, which relegated him to 29th place in that segment after a splash of fuel at lap 56. After pit stops at the stage break, he restarted 30th and began an aggressive charge forward. Approaching stage end, a 17-car crash caused front nose and door damage to Logano’s car. The subsequent extended pit stops allowed repairs without losing a lap.
Once back on track from near the back, Logano navigated through the field as the race progressed. A pivotal fuel-only stop with 12 laps to go helped him rejoin the leaders. A caution with nine laps remaining set up a final restart with Logano starting in row seven. He immediately moved toward the front, reaching third and threatening the lead with less than five laps remaining.
On the white flag lap, a six-car breakaway formed, but a sudden crash at the backstretch and in Turn 3 disrupted Logano’s momentum. As the pack approached the start-finish line, another collision shoved Logano into the outside wall. Despite this, he crossed the finish line third.
Reflecting on the day, Logano stated,
“The whole race just didn’t really go as well as I would have hoped. In the first stage, when everyone stayed out and made it, we didn’t go for that. So, we lost points there. And it kind of still set us back. You know, we had a hard time just getting back up there. We had a great pit cycle, but no one was great with us. So, we lost all the position we gained on pit road when I got swallowed up by the field. And then made a great move at the end, got three wide on top, got to the front. I had an opportunity to get underneath the Spire cars. It felt like it was the right move, I made it, and the car was just slow at the end. I think the damage I got from the wreck earlier hurt it more than I expected when I put it back out in the wind which made me go back a little bit.”
– Joey Logano, Driver
Next Up: NASCAR Cup Series Moves to Atlanta
Following the intense and unpredictable 68th running of the Daytona 500, the NASCAR Cup Series will shift its focus to the Autotrader 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, February 22. Fans can follow live race coverage starting at 3:00 p.m. ET on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. The results and experiences from Daytona will no doubt influence team strategies and driver performances as the season continues.
