Cindric Nips Preece by 0.022 Seconds in Talladega Thriller

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Austin Cindric rocketed from 25th to the lead after a lightning-fast pit stop during a late-race green flag cycle, then held off Ryan Preece in a heart-pounding finish to claim victory in Sunday's Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27, 2025.[1][2][4] The Team Penske driver led five times for seven laps, trading the top spot with Preece five times in the closing stages, with Cindric hugging the inside lane to prevail by just 0.022 seconds.[2] It was Cindric's first win of the 2025 season and his third career NASCAR Cup Series triumph.[1][5] Post-race inspections delivered chaos: Preece, who crossed the line second, and Joey Logano, who finished fifth after leading 24 laps, were disqualified for spoiler violations, dropping them to 38th and 39th respectively.[1][2] Noah Gragson climbed from sixth to fourth in the official results, while Kyle Larson secured second and William Byron took third.[2] The top 10 finishers included Chase Elliott fifth, Carson Hocevar sixth, Alex Bowman seventh, Bubba Wallace eighth, Daniel Suarez ninth and Austin Dillon 10th.[2] Cindric's victory propelled Ford to its second win of the season and the 11th for Team Penske at Talladega since 2014.[2] Powered by Roush Yates Engines, the win marked the engine builder's 200th Cup Series points victory since 2004 and Ford's 743rd overall in NASCAR's top series.[2] Other Ford drivers posted solid results: Cole Custer 13th, Todd Gilliland 16th, Zane Smith 19th and Josh Berry 26th.[2] The 2.66-mile superspeedway delivered its signature unpredictability, with Cindric calling it a moment of 'excellence' amid the pack racing frenzy.[3] His Mustang Dark Horse outdueled Preece's outside-line push in a finish replay officials pored over, underscoring Talladega's reputation for photo-finish drama.[1][2][4]