Daytona domination ends in disappointment for Team Penske

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Sunday’s Daytona 500 was exactly what everyone expected – until it wasn’t. 

Team Penske had three rocket ships in the field but only disappointment to show for it as all three of them wrecked while racing for the win.

In the end, Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric mustered top-10 finishes – in seventh and eighth respectively – while Joey Logano finished 35th, out of the race.

On paper, two top-10 finishes looks fine. But Penske was poised for something special, having the three best cars in a battle for the win. 

Team Penske led 125 of the 201 laps run and had the lead at several key points.

Logano was out in front when the first stage ended on lap 65. Then, he had to mount a remarkable comeback in the second 65-lap stage after a checkup caused a big wreck and revealed a throttle body issue for him at the start of it.

Logano emerged unscathed but he lost a lap on pit road with the hood up. Then, a timely caution helped him gained a lap back and finish eighth in the stage.

Then, with 15 laps to go in the race, a wreck dashed Logano’s bid for a comeback.

Behind Corey LaJoie and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Logano tried to make a move on Stenhouse as he looked to push Corey LaJoie to the lead. Stenhouse threw an aggressive block, sending Logano’s No. 22 car into Blaney’s No. 12 car and Kyle Busch’s No. 8 car. It caused significant damage to Blaney’s car and ended Busch’s day.

After finishing third in stage one and nipping Cindric for stage two, Blaney had rode behind Cindric on the inside lane before the calamity began.

Still, Cindric was in it as the race went into overtime.

He took the white flag in a fierce battle for the lead with Cole Custer and Denny Hamlin.

Then, it all went away on the backstretch when Custer threw a block on Chase Briscoe. The block detonated the field into a large wreck that William Byron missed en route to victory lane.

Cindric led 59 laps led, Logano led 43 and Blaney led 23.

But none of them led the most important lap.

Penske should be competitive once again this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway – another drafting track. The green flag for the Ambetter Health 400 is set to fly at 3 p.m. ET this Sunday, Feb. 23, on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.