How did Austin Cindric’s help contribute to Joey Logano’s third Cup Series championship? Everything you need to know

Team Penske made a change in its pit crew lineup mid-race as Joey Logano won his third NASCAR Cup Series championship. The jackman of Austin Cindric replaced Logano’s jackman as the latter crew member dealt with a health issue in the championship race at Phoenix Raceway.

Joey Logano and Austin Cindric are two of three drivers for Team Penske, along with Championship 4 driver Ryan Blaney. Logano drives the No. 22 Ford Mustang while Cindric pilots the No. 2 car. The latter driver also qualified for this year’s playoffs but got eliminated after the Round of 12.

The crew member replacement happened on lap 137 after the No. 22 jackman reportedly wasn’t feeling well. The No. 2 jackman stepped in to lift Joey Logano’s car during pit stops whenever it came in for tires. He could be seen wearing a white Discount tire suit and surrounded by pit crews in yellow Shell Pennzoil suits.

Joey Logano drives the No. 22 Ford, while Austin Cindric drives the No. 2 car - Source: Imagn

Before the change in crew members, Joey Logano won stage 1 on lap 61, followed by Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell. On lap 186, teammate and defending champion Ryan Blaney won stage 2, with Logano crossing the line in third.

Ultimately, the No. 22 driver brought home the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship, beating Blaney in P2 by 0.330 seconds.

Fellow championship contender William Byron finished the race third, followed by Kyle Larson in P4 and Christopher Bell in P5. The top 10 finishers included Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher, and Daniel Suarez.

Meanwhile, Austin Cindric and the No. 2 team closed their season with a P13 finish around the one-mile track. The driver ran a steady race outside the top 10 after qualifying in P11. He finished stage 1 and stage 2 in P10 and P13, respectively.

With Joey Logano winning the championship, the Connecticut native joins the three-time champion club in NASCAR. It is home to five former champs, including Lee Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, and Tony Stewart.

For the 2025 season, Team Penske will retain its three-driver lineup. The Mooresville-based outfit will also enter the season as the defending champion for three consecutive years.

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Ryan Blaney wants to be successful with Joey Logano for Team Penske

In an interview after the Las Vegas playoff race, Ryan Blaney opened up about his relationship with Joey Logano. The 2023 NASCAR champ admitted looking out for his teammates, including Logano during races to give team owner Roger Penske good results week in and week out.

Per Frontstretch, Ryan Blaney said:

"Joey and I, we work really well together. We always have and that's just gotten better, year after year. As you get older, he and I became the two veteran guys on the Penske side over there. We have to really rely on each other. How do we take the reigns and try to understand and bounce off each other." [5:36]

The No. 12 Team Penske driver added:

"You can't just be three separate entities doing your own thing. What's the point of having a three-four car team if you're doing that? That's just kind of been the Penske way here. It's just [we] all try to rely on each other and use each other's skills to build your own and help grow the whole thing healthy. Its something where we understand the deal and we understand that we want to be successful for Roger [Penske] and to do that you have to work together.”

Fast forward to the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, and the two Team Penske drivers found themselves fighting for the championship on the closing laps of the race. However, Logano bested the rest of the field with a P1 finish, which awarded him his third NASCAR Cup Series championship.