2022 Season in Review: Team Penske

2022 could not have gone better for Roger Penske’s Cup Series team. Not only did a Team Penske driver win the Cup Series Championship, but the team racked up big wins at the marquee events all season. The year was bookended by Joey Logano winning races out on the West Coast. Austin Cindric won the Daytona 500. While Ryan Blaney did not win a points-paying race, he did claim victory in the All-Star Race. Overall, Team Penske’s 2022 was as close to perfection as it can get.

Austin Cindric – #2

2022 Stat Line: 36 Starts – 1 Win, 5 Top-5s, 9 Top-10s, Avg Fin: 16.3, 1 Pole

Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins

Driver’s Points Ranking: 12; Owner’s Points Ranking: 12

Notable Results: Daytona 500 Winner, Rookie of the Year

Coming into 2022, Austin Cindric had some big shoes to fill in the #2 Team Penske Ford. Replacing Brad Keselowski, a former Cup Series champion for the team, is no small feat. His Xfinity resume looked promising, especially with his 2020 championship. However, the recent history of Cup Series rookies has proven to show the growing pains of young drivers.

Austin Cindric’s 2022 started off in the best possible way by winning the Daytona 500. Cindric became the first “official” rookie to win the Great American Race (Trevor Bayne was not running for Rookie of the Year in 2011). That Daytona 500 win automatically qualified him for the playoffs as well. Following up his 500 win, Cindric claimed the pole at Auto Club Speedway. Then it was essentially all downhill from there.

It would be a stretch to say that Cindric struggled in his rookie campaign. Out of recent rookies, his rookie season was the strongest. However, his year never came close to matching that high of the Daytona 500 win. Cindric was a consistent Top-20 driver all year. Outside of a summer stretch where he placed in the Top-10 five times in seven races, Cindric seldomly finished in the Top-10. Where Cindric shined the most was on the road courses. In the six road course races, Cindric’s average finishing position was 9.3.

Austin Cindric’s run in the playoffs could be considered mediocre at best. Cindric was able to advance to the Round of 12. However, that was more due to Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Tyler Reddick suffering incidents rather than Cindric racing his way in. In the Round of 16, Cindric averaged a 16th place finish. Overall for the ten race playoff, Cindric only scored one Top-10, which came at Talladega.

2022 Grade: B

When reviewing the entire season for Austin Cindric, it is important to not let the Daytona 500 skew the outlook. While any year that begins with winning the Daytona 500 is a great season, Cindric’s body of work does not merit a higher grade than a B. Cindric was easily the best rookie in the field. Though that is not saying much, he did show flashes of promise outside.  His road course prowess shined through at times and his superspeedway racing netted him four Top-10s. For a rookie season, a single win and one round advancement in the playoffs is solid work.

2023 Driver Outlook

According to Jayski’s driving chart, Austin Cindric’s contract was believed to expire at the end of the 2022 season. However, there is no doubt that he will be returning to Team Penske’s #2 machine. Based on 2022, Cindric looks to be a competitive driver at the road courses next year, especially the Chicago street course. His knack for superspeedways will also keep him in contention for wins at Daytona, Talladega, and Atlanta. With Team Penske’s equipment, Austin Cindric should be able to find victory lane again in 2023. Where Penske hopes Cindric develops more is on the non-superspeedway ovals.

Ryan Blaney – #12

2022 Stat Line: 36 Starts – 12 Top-5s, 17 Top-10s, Avg Fin: 13.6, 3 Poles

Crew Chief: Jonathan Hassler

Driver’s Points Ranking: 8; Owner’s Points Ranking: 17

Notable Results: All-Star Race Winner

Ryan Blaney’s 2022 season was a bit of an oddity. For the first time since 2017, Blaney failed to win a points-paying race. After a three win 2021 campaign, many thought Blaney would take the next step in his progression. Always a fan favorite, Blaney seems to be frustratingly stuck in the “B+” tier of drivers. While a threat to win almost any race, he struggles to secure victories.

2022 was a perfect example of that for Blaney. Blaney led the Cup Series with 9 stage wins. He led over 100 laps in three different events (twice at Phoenix). In terms of laps led, Blaney ranks fifth among all drivers. For a driver that was consistently at the front, it is massively disappointing that he was not able to come home with a single win. His inability to find victory lane with strong cars is a recurring theme of Blaney’s career.

All-Star Race Fiasco

It was not a complete loss in the wins column though. Ryan Blaney was able to win the All-Star Race; twice actually. Since NASCAR loves to overcomplicate things, the rule for a caution during the white flag changed for the 2022 All-Star Race. While a yellow during the white flag lap normally ends the race, it did not in Texas that night. In all of their glory, NASCAR threw a yellow for Ricky Stenhouse Jr slapping the wall behind almost every car in the field. Blaney was about 200 feet away from taking the checkered flag when the yellow lights flashed. Blaney, who thought he won the race, took down his window net to celebrate.

It might have been here where NASCAR’s positive vibes for the 2022 season ended. NASCAR throws a pointless caution that confuses everyone, including Ryan Blaney. Blaney has to scramble to figure out how to put his window net back up for the last restart. NASCAR would not allow Blaney to come to pit road to put the window net up without him losing spots on the track. So what happens? Blaney drives a green-white-checkered finish with his window net not secured. Great stuff NASCAR.

While Blaney was able to secure to the win, it was the first major controversy of the season for NASCAR. It is unfortunate that Blaney’s one win this season is marred in controversy that was not his fault.

2022 Grade: C+

It seems harsh but it is fair. While Ryan Blaney was able to squeak his way into the playoffs (thanks to Kurt Busch’s concussion) and advance to the Round of 8, this season cannot be considered a wild success. Failing to win a points-paying race when twenty other drivers figured it out is not a great look. Blaney’s consistency was his saving grace for the year. It was able to propel him into the playoffs and through two rounds of it. With that said, Blaney’s inability to secure a win with the equipment that he is running is a red flag.

The standards for Ryan Blaney are higher than for Austin Cindric. At this point in his career, Blaney should be racking up multiple wins in a season. 2022 should be seen as step back for Ryan Blaney. No wins is not what the top tiered drivers produce. Now, one can argue that Blaney would have won the season finale if he was not playing sidekick to Joey Logano after the last restart. That is a fair argument. However, Blaney should not be waiting on the final race of the year to score his first win of the season. If Blaney wants to be seen in the same tier as Chase Elliott and Joey Logano, he needs to step it up.

2023 Driver Outlook

Ryan Blaney signed a multi-year extension with Team Penske during the season. For the foreseeable future, Blaney will be behind the wheel of the #12 car. Looking at the 2023 season, Blaney is set to be a championship contender. He has shown the speed, consistency, and talent to be a championship contender. However, he needs to piece it together to rack up the wins. An appearance in the Championship Four could be in Blaney’s 2023 future. Look for Blaney to find his way to victory lane after multiple races next season. Though a championship may escape him, Blaney should be the favorite to win the Daytona 500.

Joey Logano – #22

2022 Stat Line: 36 Starts – 4 Wins, 11 Top-5s, 17 Top-10s, Avg Fin: 13.5, 4 Poles

Crew Chief: Paul Wolfe

Driver’s Points Ranking: 1; Owner’s Points Ranking: 1

Notable Results: Cup Series Champion, Clash Winner

Joey Logano’s 2022 could not have started and finished any better than it did. As mentioned earlier, Logano bookended the year by winning out West. Starting the year off with The Clash at the LA Coliseum, Logano was able to muscle his way into victory lane. Not only did Logano win the first marque event of the year, he was the first victor in the Next Gen car. Logano set the tone early in the year.

Fast forward to the end of the season, Logano dominated the Championship Four race at Phoenix. Essentially from the drop of the green flag, every fan watching knew Joey Logano would emerge as champion. While Ross Chastain attempted a late race charge, Logano cruised to his second Cup Series championship. He joins Kyle Busch as the only active two-time champions in the sport.

Sprinkled in between the bookended highlights, Joey Logano put up another solid season for Team Penske. Logano’s consistency was not as prominent as it has been during his tenure with Penske. His average finish of 13.5 is Logano’s lowest since 2017. Reviewing his season, there were some weeks where the 22 car simply did not have it. Races at Pocono, New Hampshire, and Road America in the middle of the season are examples of this. Including crashing out at Atlanta’s summer race, Logano finished outside the Top-20 in these four races in a row.

Even in the playoffs, Logano was not consistently in championship form throughout. He would show flashes, such as his Las Vegas win, Darlington Top-5, and surviving Texas for a second place finish. Outside of those races and Phoenix, Logano’s 2022 playoff run was pretty middling. Homestead and Martinsville can be excused due to already making the Championship Four. What is there to race for at that point? However, Kansas, Bristol, Talladega, and the ROVAL were not the best outings for Logano or his team.

2022 Grade: A+

Joey Logano won the championship. He receives an A+; it is that simple. Does that mean his season was perfect? Absolutely not. For most of the season, Logano was a front running contender. However, the great equalizer that is the Next Gen car (and its ability to randomize who runs well) clearly affected the 22 team. But when it mattered most, Logano and his team got it done.

Based on his championship race alone Joey Logano would receive an A+. That was a masterclass of domination. While it might have put on a boring spectacle for NASCAR’s “Game 7” moment, it was impressive to watch. Joey Logano and his team ran away with the Cup Series Championship at Phoenix. Love him or hate him, it is impossible to deny Logano’s greatness.

2023 Driver Outlook

Similar to Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano signed a multi-year extension to remain with Team Penske for the foreseeable future. Plus, Pennzoil is signed with Penske through 2027. More than likely, this will be Logano’s home until he retires.

As for 2023, Joey Logano will have another Joey Logano-type season: multiple wins and a deep run in the playoffs. If Logano follows his pattern, he will miss the Championship Four in 2023. With the Next Gen car, anything is possible in this elimination format. For 2023, expect Logano to win 3-4 races and be a strong contender to defend his title.

Team Penske Grade: A

Team Penske’s 2022 was a dream season. While an eight win season might seem light for Ford’s top team, where the wins were is vitally important. Putting their car in victory lane in NASCAR’s all-out effort to attract the West Coast audience is great for business. A Daytona 500 win is always special. Logano’s win at the inaugural event at WWT Raceway is another feather in the cap. Though it was shrouded in controversy and boredom, the All-Star Race win is another prime event that draws a lot of attention and money.

Bottom line is that Team Penske came home with the championship. Even if Cindric and Blaney were moving chicanes all season, Joey Logano bringing home the trophy is an automatic fantastic season. Team Penske is solidifying themselves as the second-best team in NASCAR. They will anchor Ford for the next decade, especially with the young drivers in their lineup.

Writer’s Note: “2022 Season in Review” is a series that will be split between Robert Cwick and Griffin Fuller. It is tandem effort to cover all the Cup Series teams. Daniel Smith is also doing a deep dive into the statistics for the Cup Series in his season review. See below for links to other published “2022 Season in Review” articles. 

2022 Season in Review: JTG-Daugherty Racing by Robert Cwick

2022 Cup Series Statistical Driver Review: Part 1 by Daniel Smith