The NASCAR Cup Series Darlington Playoffs began with a rough night for Team Penske as Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano each faced hurdles during the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday night at Darlington Raceway. The event, marking the start of the Round of 16, saw all three drivers managing difficult track conditions and on-track incidents while battling for critical playoff points. Despite setbacks, the team remains positioned to fight through the next two races in this elimination round.
Austin Cindric Secures Mid-Pack Finish Amid Shifting Conditions
Austin Cindric, driving the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse, started 10th and finished 12th in the first playoff race. Cindric experienced a loose car in the initial segment but improved to eighth place, earning valuable stage points in the race’s crown jewel event. Handling shifted tighter during Stage 2, but adjustments allowed gradual progress, though Cindric dropped to 18th by the end of that segment. The car’s balance improved in the final stage, enabling Cindric to hold his ground at Darlington, known as the “Too Tough To Tame” track. After the race, Cindric stood ninth in the playoff standings, 12 points above the elimination cutoff with two races left in the Round of 16.
“It was a decent night. We got a little behind in Stage 2 – had a bad pit stop and kind of got pinballed around on a few restarts and had to hit the full reset button. We really drove our way up through under green through the duration of Stage 3. I thought Brian made some good adjustments and I feel like we got a somewhat of a representative finish. I wish we would have been able to hold onto the track position we qualified with, but getting Stage points early was good.”
—Austin Cindric, Driver
Ryan Blaney Battles Through Pit Road Chaos and On-Track Contact
Ryan Blaney, in the No. 12 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang Dark Horse, endured a tumultuous night that ended with an 18th-place finish. Starting 12th, Blaney consistently ran inside the top 10 during Stage 1 and secured 10th place at the segment’s conclusion. However, during a caution on lap 152, Blaney was delayed on pit road after the No. 77 slid into his stall, dropping him to 20th for the restart. Despite recovering to 13th by lap 203, a collision shortly after—caused by loose conditions and contact from the No. 3 car—resulted in Blaney spinning into the inside wall. After repairs for a flat right front tire and damage to the splitter, Blaney finished Stage 2 in 31st.
Adjustments in subsequent stops helped the No. 12 team climb back into the top 20 before an untimely caution while Blaney was pitting put him a lap down. He regained the lead lap through the wave-around and finished strong, moving up seven positions in the final segment. Blaney enters the next race seventh in the standings, 22 points above elimination.
“There were multiple instances, one on pit road. We had to start in the back and then getting spun off turn four killed the splitter, and then we came from the back to 19th and then the caution came out as soon as we got to pit road and sent us all the way back again. Just about everything that could go wrong tonight went wrong. At least we recovered to where we did, which is ok, I guess. It just wasn’t a smooth night.”
—Ryan Blaney, Driver
Joey Logano Struggles with Grip and Finishes Outside Top 15
Joey Logano, behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell–Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse, encountered persistent traction issues throughout the race and ended up 20th. Starting 14th, Logano grappled with poor grip over the opening 115-lap stage but maintained his track position through successive green flag pit stops, crossing 16th in Stage 1. Early in Stage 2, he fell out of the top 20 but fought back into the top 15 by the time of a lap 210 caution. The team capitalized during the 16-lap shootout to finish the stage 13th. In the final run, Logano stayed within the top 20, but a late restart with 48 laps left could not yield a better finish. His current playoff standing is 13th, marginally below the elimination line by three points.
“We just had no grip. There isn’t much to say outside of that. It wasn’t good enough. This has been a good track for us in the past, but I don’t know. Some of our cars were decent at times, but not like we have been here. It’s a bit of a head scratcher to try to understand. It’s obviously not the day we wanted.”
—Joey Logano, Driver
Playoff Implications and Next Race Preview
The challenging performances by the Penske drivers at Darlington highlight the intense competitiveness of the NASCAR Cup Series Darlington Playoffs. With only two races remaining in the Round of 16, every point gained or lost can determine which drivers move forward toward the championship. Austin Cindric’s position just above the elimination line and Ryan Blaney’s solid recovery stand in contrast to Joey Logano’s tight margin near the cut-off, emphasizing the critical nature of the upcoming events.
The playoff field will now shift focus to World Wide Technology Raceway for the second race of the Round of 16, scheduled for Sunday, September 7. The Enjoy Illinois 300 will begin broadcasting at 3:00 p.m. ET across USA Network, MRN, and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90, as drivers and teams look to sharpen setups and push for stronger results to advance in the playoffs.
