Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Recap
Track: Texas Motor Speedway
Race: NASCAR All-Star Race
Date: May 22, 2022
No. 2 Keystone Light Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 12th
Race Finish: 3rd
Stage 1 Finish: 16th
Stage 2 Finish: 1st
Stage 3 Finish: 5th
Laps Led: 7
Race Rundown: Austin Cindric started his first NASCAR All-Star Race from 12th position and finished a strong third. The Cup Series Rookie reported early his Keystone Light Ford Mustang was good, but he needed track position after finishing the first stage in 17th position. Crew chief Jeremy Bullins kept his driver on track to start the chaotic second stage in seventh position. Cindric slowly made his way to the front and captured the race lead on lap 48 before a red flag. He went on to win the second stage but restarted in fifth for the third stage after a pit stop miscue. The Mooresville N.C. native ran constantly in the top-five throughout the third stage finishing the 20-lap sprint in fifth place. Cindric started the final 50 lap stage first and consistently ran inside the top-three, finishing third when the checkered flag flew.
Cindric’s Thoughts: “Really happy for Ryan (Blaney) and the No. 12 team. They had the fastest car all night and if I wasn’t going to win it, I was committed to helping him. I lined up behind him on that last restart and gave him the best push possible. I am proud of my guys. We had a strong showing tonight. I just wish it paid points, getting the stage win and third place finish. But if anything, it builds our confidence and momentum going into Coca-Cola 600 weekend.”
No. 12 Menards/Wrangler Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney
Start: 2nd
Race Finish: 1st (First All-Star Race win)
Stage 1 Finish: 2nd
Stage 2 Finish: 2nd
Stage 3 Finish: 1st
Laps Led: 84 (Race high)
Race Rundown: Ryan Blaney held off all challengers and scored the win in the NASCAR All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday night. The driver of the Menards/Wrangler Ford Mustang led 84 of the 140 laps to score the victory. This was the fourth win for Team Penske in the All-Star Race. In the opening stage, Blaney showed tremendous pace with the No. 12 Ford but dirty air would keep him trapped behind eventual stage winner Kyle Busch. In the second stage, Blaney missed a large multi-vehicle incident on the front stretch again finishing in the second position. In the third stage it was Blaney grabbing the lead early and powering to the win, guaranteeing the No. 12 team a front row starting spot for the final event. Using two strong pushes from teammate Austin Cindric, Blaney managed hold off Denny Hamlin for the victory.
Blaney’s Thoughts: “We were cruising there, and I just wanted to get to the white to have it covered and then the caution came out off of four. I thought it was like any other race. That rule was never kind of relayed to us. I already took my window net down and everything. My left arm is worn out from trying to get that damn thing back up. I got it rigged up enough to where it halfway stayed. I appreciate NASCAR for not making us come down pit road to fix it and letting me get it clipped back again to where we could stay out there. This Mustang was a rocketship. I am really glad we ended up winning that after that last caution. I am so proud of everybody. Tonight will be fun.”
No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano
Start: 9th
Race Finish: 4th
Stage 1 Finish: 8th
Stage 2 Finish: 11th
Stage 3 Finish: 3rd
Laps Led: 0
Race Rundown: Joey Logano finished third in Sunday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race at the Texas Motor Speedway. After starting ninth, Logano struggled with track position through the opening two stages, finishing eighth and 11th respectively. At the end of the second stage, the Shell-Pennzoil crew ripped off an incredible fast pit stop paired with Logano masterfully executing the timing lines to win the $100,000 pit crew challenge. The pit stop locked Logano into the third starting position for the 50-lap final stage where he’d finish fourth in the 140-lap, four stage event.
Logano’s Thoughts: “First off, congrats to my guys on pit road winning the pit crew challenge tonight. Those guys have been working extremely hard and that was a great effort. It was good to have ourselves in a position to start first, second and third as a team at the beginning of the last stage. Congrats to my teammate Ryan Blaney on the win, if we can’t win, glad he could win it for everyone at Team Penske.”
