drought

After a 30-race streak, Austin Cindric broke through a tumultuous group to win Sunday's race, giving Team Penske their first NASCAR Cup Series triumph of the year. In what was an exceptionally quiet afternoon by Talladega norms, the 25-year-old managed to hold off a growling bunch of competitors over the last lap.

Naturally, since this is Talladega, there were some pyrotechnics during the day. 1 
After the second stage, Penske teammate Joey Logano was furious because he felt Cindric had failed to provide him with the necessary drafting assistance, allowing Bubba Wallace's Toyota to win the stage. Cindric, who went on to enjoy his third career Cup Series victory and secure his spot in the playoffs, was unfazed by Logano's rage.

The day is dominated by Ford Power.

With Ryan Preece finishing in second place, Cindric's victory completed a solid performance for the Ford drivers. Kyle Larson and William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports finished third and fourth behind them, but in a stunning turn of events, the two Chevrolet drivers chose to stay behind Cindric and Preece on the last lap instead of attempting to leap out and make a bold charge for the victory.

After overcoming his stage drama, Logano finished fifth, followed by Noah Gragson, who had another impressive Ford finish. Hendrick's Chase Elliott finished seventh, trailing just Carson Hocevar of Spire Motorsports in eighth place. The top 10 was completed by Bubba Wallace (10th), who led the Toyota group, and Alex Bowman (ninth).

An Unexpectedly Calm Talladega

The race on Sunday was almost eerily peaceful for a course that is notorious for its jaw-dropping pileups. In just 22 laps, there were only four cautions, two of which were for planned stage breaks. In contrast, a 28-car demolition derby at Talladega last October set a NASCAR record for devastation.

On Sunday, however, the action was unrelenting. Thirty out of forty vehicles finished on the lead lap, and there were an astounding 67 lead changes between 23 drivers during the race. Just five drivers were unable to finish, which is a remarkably low number of casualties for a circuit that is frequently referred to as a blender that is ready to "puree."

Cindric's triumph also made him the 10th different winner in a row at Talladega, extending his record and confirming that predictability is a fool's errand at this 2.66-mile superspeedway.

After breaking a NASCAR record, Kyle Larson is reprimanded by the pit crew.

Larson made history even if he did not win the checkered flag. Larson passed Martin Truex Jr. to become NASCAR's all-time leader in stage victories with 67 after winning the race's opening stage on Sunday.

A key component of the current NASCAR rhythm, stages were added in 2017 to add strategic drama to races and provide viewers with a break (and an opportunity to restock on popcorn).

Larson's celebration did not last long, though. As a harsh reminder that Talladega takes as long as it gives, he was tagged for speeding on pit road during the very next pit stop and had to slide all the way back to 17th for the restart.

Trouble with a Teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing3 

At Joe Gibbs Racing, there were more than just high fives and grins. Coworkers Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell were involved on a restart early in the race, eliminating Bell, who has already recorded three victories this year, from the race.

 Hamlin was accelerating when he unintentionally collided with Bell's rear bumper, which caused Bell to crash into the wall and resulted in the second caution of the day.

"What the devil? "Man, I am sorry if that was my fault," Hamlin stated in shock over the radio. "We had not even caught up yet. Why that would have destroyed him is beyond me.

Bell was sent straight to the garage after the accident, where he joined a number of other leading contenders, such as Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher, and Ryan Blaney, who were also knocked out in an early altercation.

It was Blaney's fourth DNF in just ten races this season, which is a terrible run for the 2023 Cup Series champion.

Important Takeaways:5 

At Talladega, Austin Cindric ended a 30-race losing streak to give Team Penske their first victory of 2025.

Kyle Larson is penalized on pit road after setting a new NASCAR record for stage wins.

While Joe Gibbs Racing sustains a costly teammate collision, Ford drivers occupy the top spot on the scoreboard.

High drama is nevertheless produced by a surprisingly subdued Talladega, but not in the twisted-metal way that fans are used to.