Cindric Edges Preece by 0.022 Seconds in Talladega Thriller

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Austin Cindric of Team Penske delivered a masterclass in superspeedway racing Sunday, April 27, 2025, winning the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway by outdueling fellow Ford driver Ryan Preece in the final laps. Cindric's No. 2 Ford Mustang crossed the line 0.022 seconds ahead after the duo swapped the lead five times over the last seven laps, with Cindric holding the inside line.[1][3][6] A lightning-fast pit stop in the final stage propelled him from 25th to the front, where a crucial push from Kyle Larson sealed the deal.[1][2] The 500-mile race unfolded with intense pack racing typical of Talladega's 2.66-mile tri-oval. Ty Gibbs of Toyota paced the field for a race-high 32 laps in the final stage, while Joey Logano led 24 laps before finishing fifth on track.[2][3] Stage 2 concluded with Bubba Wallace atop the top-10, followed by Larson, Cindric, Carson Hocevar, Tyler Reddick, Todd Gilliland, Zane Smith, Josh Berry, Justin Haley and AJ Allmendinger.[2] Post-race inspections delivered a twist: Preece and Logano were disqualified for spoiler violations, dropping Preece from second and Logano to 39th. This reshuffled the official top-10 to Cindric, Kyle Larson, William Byron, Noah Gragson (up from sixth to fourth), Chase Elliott, Carson Hocevar, Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suarez and Austin Dillon.[1][2][3] Cindric's triumph marked his third career Cup Series win and Team Penske's first points victory of 2025, also Ford's second of the season and the 11th Penske win at Talladega since 2014.[2][3][4] Powered by Roush Yates Engines, it was their 200th Cup points win since 2004 and Ford's 743rd overall in the series.[3] Cindric celebrated by donning Talladega's traditional victory wreath, extending the track's record to 10 consecutive different winners.[4]