During Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta event at EchoPark Speedway, Team Penske drivers in the No. 2, No. 12, and No. 22 Ford Mustangs demonstrated competitive speed and resilience, only to face setbacks caused by incidents in the final laps. Despite starting deep in the field due to washed-out qualifying, Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Autotrader Ford Mustang Dark Horse surged to the front before a late multi-car crash dropped him to 26th place. Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney in the No. 12 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang Dark Horse overcame penalties and traffic to finish in the top 10, and Joey Logano’s No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse battled through multiple incidents to end 18th.
Austin Cindric’s Rise Cut Short by Late Collision
Austin Cindric started 30th on the grid after Saturday’s qualifying session was canceled, following NASCAR’s standard procedure for setting the lineup. Undeterred, he steadily advanced through the pack, asserting remarkable pace and control. Cindric captured the Stage 1 win by the end of the first segment, earning crucial points for his team. His crew adjusted the car on pit road, making air pressure changes while giving him fresh tires and fuel, which helped him restart Stage 2 in a strong fifth position.
Throughout the stage, Cindric maintained a position among the leaders despite the car beginning to tighten up. He placed 11th in Stage 2, narrowly avoiding a close call when another car spun out nearby. After pitting again, he restarted 12th with 91 laps remaining but quickly regained momentum, moving into the top five as the laps ticked down. On Lap 221, Cindric took the race lead, solidifying himself as a key contender for victory.
Tragically, a late-race incident involving the No. 24 car sparked a multi-vehicle crash that involved Cindric’s Mustang, abruptly ending his promising run. The wreck relegated him to a disappointing 26th-place finish, which did not reflect his team’s earlier strong performance during the Autotrader 400.
“We had a really fast No. 2 Autotrader Ford Mustang Dark Horse today. With no qualifying, we had to start near the back, but we fought hard and put ourselves in position there at the end of Stage 1. We made good adjustments and kept ourselves in the fight all day. It’s frustrating to have it end like that when you’re battling up front, but I’m proud of the effort from the 2 team.”
Austin Cindric, Driver
Ryan Blaney’s Resilient Drive Yields Top-Ten Finish
Ryan Blaney began the race 22nd after the qualifying session was canceled, forced to rely on skill and strategy to climb the order with the No. 12 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang Dark Horse. He worked his way into the top 10 by the end of Stage 1 and came across the line in 10th place. However, a pit road speeding penalty during the stage break drastically altered his race strategy. Restarting 36th, Blaney fought through heavy traffic to regain an eighth-place finish in Stage 2.
His crew chief, Jonathan Hassler, made bold calls during pit stops. Opting for right-side tires and fuel during a critical stop allowed Blaney to win off pit road and restart prominently on the outside of the front row. Blaney remained competitive, challenging for the lead before a late caution with 56 laps to go prompted another fuel splash strategy. After taking the green flag in third, he claimed the lead again on Lap 71 of the final segment but contact in Turn 1 disrupted his rhythm.
With 23 laps left, Blaney was shuffled to the middle lane following another caution and ultimately fell outside of the top 10 amid the frantic closing laps. The race featured multiple overtime restarts, where Blaney attempted to leverage momentum in the top lane but ultimately crossed the line tenth, marking the No. 12 team’s first top-10 finish of the season.
“We had a little bit of a different strategy there in the second stage. We topped off once and then that gave us the ability to take less gas and two [tires] just to try and get some track position and we had it. We had good control of it for a while and then just lost control of it there and that was the end of it.”
Ryan Blaney, Driver
Joey Logano Faces Multiple Setbacks in Battle for Front
Joey Logano started strong from the outside of the front row in his No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse, seizing the lead on the opening lap and setting a new NASCAR Cup Series milestone by leading at least one lap in 20 consecutive races on drafting tracks, surpassing the legendary Richard Petty. Throughout Stage 1, Logano remained a formidable presence within the top 10, eventually crossing the Stage 1 line eighth.
Stage 2 was tumultuous, featuring heavy three-wide racing. After a restart with 29 laps left in the stage, Logano found himself isolated in the bottom lane without momentum, ultimately finishing 17th when a late multi-car incident forced him to slow. His team executed a quick fuel-only pit stop during a subsequent caution on Lap 199, gaining several positions on pit road.
While running seventh with 23 laps to go, contact with another contender caused Logano to lose control, sending his car into the infield and forcing a tire change. After rejoining 28th, he worked his way back up, but a late-race multi-car crash involving the No. 24 car collected Logano’s Mustang again, costing him laps due to damage assessments. Despite the difficulties and dropping to 18th, Logano’s finish reflected his team’s perseverance amid challenging circumstances.
“I thought we were really competitive for most of the day and had a car that could control lanes and make the runs that we needed to, especially early on. We lost some track position late in Stage 2 that set us back a bit but I’m proud of the effort from this 22 team to get us back into contention after the final fuel-only stop. I thought we were fortunate to finish after that last wreck and that’s a testament to those guys for staying with it.”
Joey Logano, Driver
Upcoming Challenges for Penske and NASCAR’s Next Event
Despite the disappointment caused by late-race incidents at Atlanta, Team Penske’s trio highlighted their competitive potential in the NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta race. The No. 2, No. 12, and No. 22 teams each showed the ability to contend for strong finishes, signaling promising performances ahead.
The next race is scheduled for March 1 at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), where drivers will shift focus to road course racing—a challenge differing greatly from Atlanta’s traditional oval layout. The event will be broadcast live beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90, offering fans a thrilling new test for Team Penske and their drivers.
