It’s the third win of Austin Cindric’s career.
TALLADEGA, Ala. β Austin Cindric edged Ryan Preece at the finish of theΒ NASCAR Talladega race to earn his first win of 2025.
Cindric and Preece raced side by side in the closing laps with Kyle Larson and William Byron right on their bumpers. The first three rows of cars stayed in line on the final lap, eliminating the chaotic finishes Talladega is known for.
“I’m so proud of this team, from the cycles to the fast cars, to the fuel-only stops,” Cindric said. “Kyle did a lot to take care of me [by pushing my car].”
Cindric led just seven of the race’s 188 laps, most of which were in the final 10 laps. The Team Penske driver found the lead after the race’s final round of green flag pit stops shuffled the running order.
Cindric has made a name for himself at superspeedway races in his career. He typically runs near the front as a contender for the win late in races. He’s usually taken out by wrecks in the closing laps. This is the third win of Cindric’s career, and his second superspeedway victory. Cindric won the 2022 Daytona 500.
Preece finished in second, Larson was third, Byron was fourth, and Joey Logano was fifth. Logano was not too happy with Cindric, his Penske teammate, after the conclusion of stage two. Logano almost had a stage win, but Cindric pulled out of line in order not to wreck Logano, which allowed Bubba Wallace to get by for the stage win. Logano expressed frustration on the radio about Cindric’s move.
Zane Smith started on the pole for the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career. He only stayed near the front for the first few laps in typical superspeedway fashion.
Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe, and Austin Dillon spent time in the lead in the early part of the race. The field reached green flag pit stops before the first caution period. Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch made contact while entering pit road and spun out across the field, collecting Ryan Blaney. Keselowski and Blaney, who were expected to contend for the win on Sunday, were crashed out of the event and finished 38th and 39th, respectively.
The next crash happened a lap after the restart. Christopher Bell was turned around by Denny Hamlin while leading, sending him into Chris Buescher and hard into the inside wall. Kyle Larson later won the first stage.
No cautions happened during the second stage, as once again, fuel saving and pit strategy became a dominant factor. Bubba Wallace won the stage.
The first 30 laps of the final stage were mostly used as preparation for the final pit stop. No wrecks happened during this period, somewhat uncharacteristically of Talladega.Β
Pit stops shuffled the field in the final 20 laps, with pit crews playing a pivotal role in getting their car out quickly. Cindric’s crew prevailed, moving him from around 10th to the lead after the field cycled through pit stops.
The NASCAR Cup Series is next in action at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 4. Chase Elliott is the defending winner.
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