Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Recap - New Hampshire

July 17, 2022

Track:  New Hampshire Motor Speedway 
Race:   Ambetter 301 
Date:   July 17, 2022

No. 2 Autotrader Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 28th
Race Finish: 13th
Stage 1 Finish: 19th
Stage 2 Finish: 13th
Laps Led: 0
Point Standings: 13th (-245)

Race Rundown: Austin Cindric and the No. 2 Autotrader Ford Mustang team overcame a pit road mishap to record a 13th-place finish in Sunday afternoon's NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Cindric started 28th and remained relatively quiet on the radio early in the 301-lap race while he steadily moved forward to finish 19th in Stage 1. As multiple cautions slowed the field in Stage 2, Cindric continued to gain ground while steering a Mustang that was handling tight in traffic. The 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion improved to 13th by the conclusion of Stage 2. Following a four-tire stop during the stage break, Cindric's car lost its left-front wheel after exiting the pit stall. Cindric had to reverse his path down pit road for the No. 2 crew to correct the issue. Despite the lost track position, Cindric and the Autotrader team remained resilient over a calm Stage 3 to produce a 13th-place finish in Loudon.

Cindric's Thoughts: "Definitely a double come from behind day on the 2 car. Drove my guts out today. I am proud of the adjustments we made overnight after such a bad qualifying effort. Had a probably top-five long run car and should have finished in the top-10, we just ran out of time there. I had fun working the lanes and trying to get better. I am proud of the team. We will keep moving forward."

No. 12 Menards/Libman Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney
Start: 11th
Race Finish: 18th
Stage 1 Finish: 20th
Stage 2 Finish: 14th
Laps Led: 0
Point Standings: 3rd (-78)

Race Rundown: Ryan Blaney started 11th and finished 18th in Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The driver of Menards/Libman Ford Mustang tried to overcome an ill-handling car and a mid-race spin on Sunday. Blaney and the No. 12 Ford team spent a good portion of the race working to overcome a tight-handling condition on the Menards/Libman Mustang. After making significant adjustments to the No. 12 Ford, Blaney spun on Lap 147. The Menards/Libman crew made repairs to the Ford Mustang and Blaney fought back to bring home an 18th-place finish. 

Blaney's Thoughts: "It was a rough day for our Menards/Libman Ford. We struggled with the balance and spun midway in the race. Certainly, wasn't the result we wanted but we'll look toward Pocono next week."

No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano
Start: 12th
Race Finish: 24th
Stage 1 Finish: 11th
Stage 2 Finish: 4th
Laps Led: 25
Point Standings: 7th (-152)

Race Rundown: Joey Logano started 12th and finished 24th in Sunday's Ambetter 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The driver of the Shell-Pennzoil Ford fought to overcome a tight-handling condition on the No. 22 early in the race. He finished Stage 1 in the 11th position. Crew chief Paul Wolfe opted for track position as he called for the Shell-Pennzoil Ford to remain on track during the caution period between stages. Logano ran up front and finished Stage 2 in fourth place. Over the course of the final stage, Logano continued to run among the leaders and looked to be in position to secure a top-five finish. Unfortunately, the team's fuel strategy didn't pay off as Logano came to pit road for service with less than 10 laps remaining. As a result of losing track position, Logano came home in the 24th position. 

Logano's Thoughts: "Yeah, live by the sword, die by the sword. We did it in the second stage to get track position and it worked. Then we did it again to get track position and the race ran long and it didn't work. I thought we were pretty decent once we got up there and had a shot at taking the lead from Kurt (Busch) but then the 9 missed the mark by a mile and knocked our toe our or camber or something in the left rear suspension. I don't know why he had to do that, but I am pretty sure that was not a good move on his part. So, that is that."