Workforce Penske, which has gained the previous three Cup championships, is with no victory this yr because the collection heads to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend for the tenth race of the season.
This marks the second yr in a row that Workforce Penske is not going to have scored its first Cup win of the season earlier than a minimum of the tenth race of the yr. Final season, Workforce Penske’s first Cup victory got here within the fifteenth race of the yr when Austin Cindric gained at Gateway.
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Ryan Blaney enters this weekend sixth within the factors, finest among the many Penske drivers. Joey Logano is ninth and Cindric is twenty second. The three drivers have mixed to steer 54.6% of the laps at drafting tracks (Daytona and Atlanta) this season.
“Definitely we’ve lacked execution,” Travis Geisler, Workforce Penske vice chairman of competitors, informed NBC Sports activities after the Bristol race earlier this month. “I believe (Blaney’s) crew has been able to successful a good variety of races right here and we simply haven’t executed. We’ve had some points outdoors of our management, a few of them in our management, and we simply have to scrub all of that up.
“I really really feel like that is in all probability the quickest we’ve began a season shortly. In case you have a look at many of the races, we’ve had a very good shot. Except for (Bristol) and COTA, we in all probability might have gained any of the races. I believe that’s what you’ve bought to concentrate on, and I believe we’ve carried out a great job of popping out just a little stronger, which is a part of the objective to have the ability to get some bonus factors. We simply haven’t executed to get it carried out (in successful).”
Blaney has a series-best 92 stage factors. Logano ranks fifth within the collection with 70 stage factors. Cindric is eighth within the collection with 57 stage factors.
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Blaney had the dominant automotive at Homestead, main 124 of the primary 161 laps earlier than his engine blew — one in every of two blown engines he’s had this yr. At Darlington, Blaney led coming to pit street earlier than the time beyond regulation restart however exited fourth. He completed that race fifth.
Blaney’s crew has a brand new entrance tire changer listed on its roster for this weekend’s race at Talladega. Keiston Worth is listed as the brand new entrance tire changer, changing Ryan Flores, who takes Worth’s spot with the No. 38 automotive of Zane Smith.
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Jesse Love had his win taken away after his automotive failed post-race inspection.
As for a way the groups of Cindric and Logano have carried out this season, Geisler stated: “I believe (Cindric’s) crew is doing what they must be doing proper now. I believe these guys are in a good spot and form of making an attempt to determine methods to be there each week. I believe there are particular tracks the place they’ve been robust after which there’s been some the place they’ve been fairly weak. I believe they’re beginning to stability that out just a little bit now and attending to be just a little extra even-keeled, which is a objective for any form of new group.
“Clearly (Logano’s crew) wants to provide just a little bit extra. We’ve been struggling there. Once more, we’ve had some races the place they’ve been actually good and we haven’t been in a position to execute and get good finishes. Basically, we simply want just a little extra tempo. That automotive hasn’t had sufficient velocity.”
Logano grew to become the primary reigning Cup champion to not rating a top-10 end within the first six races of the next season.
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Logano began second at Phoenix however a restart violation early within the race pressured the crew to alter technique and use its choice tires in another way than most groups. He completed thirteenth there. Logano led at Las Vegas however misplaced it on pit street with 22 laps to go as a result of a gradual pit cease. “I simply made a mistake on pit street that I want I might have again,” Logano stated after that race.
Cindric led the Daytona 500 to start the ultimate lap, misplaced the lead on the backstretch and was collected in a crash, ending eighth.
Cindric led the next weekend at Atlanta three laps from the scheduled distance earlier than Kyle Larson bought beneath him. As they raced off Flip 2, Larson got here up the monitor and Cindric hit the wall and crashed.
Cindric gained a stage at Las Vegas however needed to pit a second time for a possible free wheel. He recovered to complete sixth, his finest results of the season.
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