Coca-Cola 600 – Charlotte Motor Speedway
Concord, NC – May 26, 2024
AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 MENARDS/DURACELL FORD MUSTANG
START: 17TH STAGE ONE: 16TH STAGE TWO: 27TH FINISH: 20TH POINTS: 20TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang, finished 20th in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday evening. Cindric fired off from the 17th position and battled a tight condition throughout the start of the event, making his first trip to pit road on Lap 41 for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments. When Stage 1 ended, the Team Penske driver was scored in the 16th spot. Still fighting a tight-handling Menards/Duracell Mustang, Cindric returned to the attention of his crew on pit road under the Stage break for service to help correct the unfavorable handling condition of the car. The No. 2 lined up 18th for the restart on Lap 111 and steadily gained position on the leaderboard as varying pit strategies played out in the second segment, but older tires ultimately led the No. 2 to lose track position late in the Stage as Cindric finished Stage 2 in the 27th position. With a four-tire service stop on deck, the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion ventured to pit road ahead of the restart, but it was ultimately inclement weather that forced an early-end to the Coca-Cola 600 with 151 laps remaining in the race.
CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “I definitely wish we would have been able to pick the race back up. We had a really well-executed day going up until we had to stay out on some older tires and that kind of put us behind. We were kind of in the middle of recovering from that, but past that, I’m happy with our improvement all weekend, we just didn’t have enough speed to run up front. We had a really tight car all race, we just needed more laps to work on it.”
RYAN BLANEY No. 12 BODYARMOR FLASH I.V. FORD MUSTANG
START: 16TH STAGE ONE: 7TH STAGE TWO: 39TH FINISH: 39TH POINTS: 12TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney’s defense of his Coca-Cola 600 victory was cut short Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway as an issue with the right front in Stage 2 ended a promising start to the 400-lap, crown jewel event. Despite a tight-handling condition during the opening green flag run of the night, Blaney drove the No. 12 BODYARMOR Flash I.V. Ford Mustang into the top-10 by the halfway point of the opening stage. A caution on lap 87 set up a seven-lap dash to the end of Stage 1 as Blaney lined up to restart from the inside of row four and came away with a seventh-place finish in the first 100-lap segment. Following another four-tire stop at the stage break, Blaney navigated his way around three-wide battles on the ensuing restart as he continued his push to the front. The No. 12 team called Blaney to pit road for a scheduled green flag stop on lap 143 and while on his out-lap getting up to speed, the right front wheel came loose and sent him into the wall in turn four. Blaney immediately brought the BODYARMOR Flash I.V. Ford to pit road, but the 12-team was unable to put on a new right front tire due to the damage sustained by the impact, signaling an abrupt end to the night at Charlotte.
BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “I don’t know. We’ll have to look if I hit something or, I don’t know. I just went into three getting up to speed and blew a tire and hit the fence. It’s an unfortunate end to our night. We’re not even halfway and just wanting to work on your stuff all night. I thought we were getting it a little better here and there, but won’t get a shot.”
JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG
START: 28TH STAGE ONE: 18TH STAGE TWO: 19TH FINISH: 14TH POINTS: 17TH
RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano was credited with a 14th-place finish in a rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway as the crown jewel event was declared official after 249 laps. The No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang was forced to start at the rear of the field after replacing the diffuser due to an issue in Saturday’s practice, but Logano charged forward to pick up 14 spots in the first 20 laps. Following a caution on lap 87 to set up restart with seven laps to go in Stage 1, Logano battled through traffic to come away with an 18th-place finish in the opening segment. The 22-team was one of two cars to take right side tires only during the stage break – vaulting Logano up to sixth in the running order for the ensuing restart – in order to flip their track position for the start of Stage 2. However, fresher tires prevailed as Logano was shuffled outside the top-20 during the green flag run as a tight-handling condition began to set in. The Shell-Pennzoil team continued to go to work on the balance throughout the 100-lap segment before the caution flew on lap 196, signaling the end of Stage 2 and a 19th-place result for Logano. As inclement weather began to make its way closer to the area, Logano’s handling started to settle in as he raced his way back into the top-15 before the yellow flag was displayed on lap 245. The red flag officially came out on lap 249 with Logano scored 14th in the running order before the race was declared official just before midnight.
LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “Challenging race starting in the back and not knowing what we were going to have after the diffuser issues we had in practice. We were off on the balance for the first few runs but got it in a place where we were starting to get better and make our way through the field a bit. But we ran out of time with the rain – I think we could’ve bettered our position if we went back racing, just didn’t get the opportunity.”
Next up for NASCAR Cup Series teams is a trip to Word Wide Technology Raceway for the Enjoy Illinois 300. The 300-mile event is scheduled for Sunday, June 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
