Austin Cindric entered the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with high expectations after a strong spring, which included a win at Talladega Superspeedway. Team Penske’s No. 2 Ford has generally been a force on intermediate tracks, with teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney running consistently at the front. But recent races have shown cracks in Cindric’s performance. At New Hampshire Motor Speedway, he finished 17th while his teammates did well. Cindric now sits 10th with 19 points below the cutline. Though he was predicted to fare well initially, analysts have now started to question his ability to perform.

Consistency is everything in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, and Cindric’s laps have not reflected the reliability Penske hoped for. While his teammates secured top finishes on similar

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