Once again, Team Penske will kick off this year’s 2023 Season in Review series for the NASCAR Cup Series teams. Team Penske has won back-to-back championships with two different drivers. Despite hoisting the championship trophy, Team Penske was not the dominate Ford team for much of the season. Even now, it can be argued that Penske has serious competition as Ford’s top team with RFK Racing. While the championship ended the year on a high, how does Team Penske’s up and down year grade when looking at 2023 as a whole?
Austin Cindric – #2
2023 Stat Line: 36 starts – 1 Top-5, 5 Top-10s, 33 Laps Led, Avg Fin: 21.6
Crew Chief: Jeremy Bollins (Regular Season)/ Brian Wilson (Playoff Races)
Driver Points Ranking: 24;Â Owner Points Ranking: 24
Notable Results: Top-5 at Playoff Talladega
Austin Cindric had a successful rookie season in 2022. He won the Daytona 500, Rookie of the Year, and advanced to the Round of 12. On paper, it was the ideal start to Cindric’s Cup Series career. Although he clearly lacked the speed of his teammates, his rookie season was something to build off of. Heading into the 2023 season, the expectation was that Cindric would improve in his sophomore season. Another entry into the playoffs was in doubt, but seeing the 2 car run Top-10 more was certainly what fans were expecting.
Unfortunately for Austin Cindric, he suffered a significant sophomore slump. While Team Penske was noticeably slower for a bulk of the season, Cindric was uncompetitively slow. His number of Top-10s (5) this season match the amount of Top-5s from last year. His average finish ballooned by 5.3 positions to outside the Top-20. This is the first time a fulltime Penske driver has had an average finish outside the Top-20 since 2010. A crew chief swap for the last 10 races did not help much either, with his average finish with Brian Wilson being 23.0.
Even road courses could not be salvation for Austin Cindric. Last year, his road course average finish was 9.4. In 2023, that average increased to 15.5. Although he did manage 2 Top-5s, he also had 2 outside the Top-20 finishes.
Austin Cindric’s 24th points finish puts him behind a Kaulig car and two Stewart-Haas Racing entries. It would be three had Chase Briscoe not been docked with the 120 point penalty. Corey LaJoie only finished 23 points behind a Team Penske entry. That is rough for a Penske driver.
2023 Grade: F
After receiving a B last year, Austin Cindric gets a F for his efforts in 2023. Simply put, a Team Penske car cannot have this type of season. Penske might not have been at their peak this season, but Cindric cannot be riding around twentieth on a weekly basis. While his rookie season was not stellar, it was significantly better than Cindric’s 2023. Even when removing the Daytona 500 win and Round of 12 appearance, last year laid a solid foundation for a promising 2023. Instead, Cindric looked more like a rookie this year than last.
2024 Outlook
Austin Cindric needs to have a bounce back season. He is resigned for the 2024 season with Team Penske. Would it be too early to say that Cindric is on the hot seat? With how silly season operates, maybe not. Usually, the third year is decision time on a young driver. Not only does Cindric need to improve upon his 2023, but he should be expected to run better than his rookie season.
Improvement is needed from Cindric on the traditional ovals. So far, his best success is on road courses and superspeedways. Out of his 15 career Top-10s, only 3 have come at non-superspeedways or road courses. For 2024, the goal should be double digit Top-10s and a playoff spot.
Ryan Blaney – #12
2023 Stat Line: 36 Starts – 3 Wins, 8 Top-5s, 18 Top-10s, 562 Laps Led, Avg Fin 14.1
Crew Chief: Jonathan Hassler
Driver Points Ranking: 1;Â Owners Points Ranking: 1
Notable Results: Coca-Cola 600 win & Cup Series Champion
For many of his fans, this season was the Ryan Blaney they were finally hoping to see. Ryan Blaney was clutch in the playoffs, rattling off 2 wins and 4 Top-5s in the final 6 races to claim his first Cup Series Championship. In addition to the championship, Blaney was able to checkoff a crown jewel event by winning the Coca-Cola 600. The early season win broke Blaney’s winless streak that dated back to the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in 2021.
What was different about Ryan Blaney this year? Why was Ryan Blaney able to succeed this season in the same situations where he came up short in previous seasons? 2023 saw a more mature Blaney. Blaney was able to stay level headed through the season and made minimal mistakes in key moments to not throw away his season. The Championship Race is a great example of that. While he did bump Ross Chastain once, Blaney mostly kept his frustrations to venting rather than on-track aggressiveness. Last year, Blaney might have moved Chastain in a way that allowed his fellow Championship Four competitors to catch up or damage his car. This year, Blaney was able to reign in the frustration.
A Weak Championship Season
The current format of the NASCAR playoffs rewards the driver who gets hot at the right time. This year was the perfect example of this. While Ryan Blaney is the deserving champion, it is tough to argue that he had one of the weakest championship seasons in Cup history. Blaney’s 8 Top-5s are the lowest amount of Top-5s out of a Cup Series champion since 1950. On top of that, Blaney’s average finish of 14.1 is the worst ever for a championship season. Jimmie Johnson’s 14.0 from 2016 is a close second worst.
What really stands out about Blaney’s season is his poor summer stretch. After he won the Coca-Cola 600, Blaney finished sixth at WWT Raceway and led the points. Once he got the points lead, his season went sideays. Blaney’s best finish from Sonoma to Texas was ninth. During that 15 race stretch, Blaney managed 3 Top-10s (all ninths), 29 laps led, and an average finish of 20.9. For almost half the season, Blaney was running about the same as Austin Cindric. While some bad luck is mixed in there, that is a large portion of the season where Blaney was noncompetitive.
As mentioned earlier, Ryan Blaney is the deserving 2023 Cup Series Champion. With the current format, Blaney and the 12 team went a great playoff run starting in the Round of 12. All credit to Blaney and his team. However, his full season was not championship caliber.
2023 Grade: A-
Last year, Joey Logano received an “A+” because he won the championship. As stated there, you win the championship, you receive an A+. Well, the plus is being turned into a minus this year. Ryan Blaney won the championship, so he deserves the A grade. However, it is difficult to say this season as a whole is worthy of a standard A (or A+). When half of a champion’s season is spent running mid pack, that brings the grade down. Even if you say his playoffs were great, it was really only the last 6 races. Blaney’s first 4 playoff races were mediocre, with an average finish of 17.8.
2024 Outlook
Ryan Blaney will look to defend his title next year. With how the playoffs lay out, there is a strong chance that Blaney could go back to back. As long as Blaney does not draft with Christopher Bell, he should perform well at the two superspeedway tracks. Watkins Glen and the ROVAL should not give Blaney too many issues. Then, the final four races are the same as this year. Everyone suspected that if Blaney could reach the Round of 8, his championship odds increased significantly. No reason to not expect Blaney to make another Championship Four appearance.
Outside of the championship, Ryan Blaney is still looking for that statement season. While winning a championship is a statement, Blaney has yet to put together a year like William Byron had this year. Maybe he can translate the last 6 races of 2023 to a dominant 2024 campaign from start to finish. Perhaps Blaney can rattle of 5 or 6 wins to back up his championship.
Joey Logano – #22
2023 Stat Line: 36 Starts – 1 Win, 11 Top-5s, 17 Top-10s, 2 Poles, Avg Fin 14.9
Crew Chief: Paul Wolfe
Driver Points Ranking: 12;Â Owners Points Ranking: 12
Notable Results: Spring Atlanta Win
How did the reigning Cup Series Champion fare in 2023? Well, Joey Logano’s championship defense was an odd one. After barely losing the Daytona 500, Logano picked up his only win of the season at spring Atlanta. From there, Logano never felt like a race winning threat again. His 308 laps led is his fewest since joining Team Penske. Plus, his 14.9 average finish is Logano’s worst since 2017. However, Logano’s 11 Top-5s led Team Penske and match up nicely with the rest of his career. On paper, Logano’s season is difficult to read.
As mentioned before in this review, Team Penske did not have the usual dominant season as many expect. Joey Logano is the perfect example of this. While he maintained his usual Top-5 output, there is little in the numbers (or eyeball test) to support a good season. Most weekends, Logano would hover outside the Top-10. While not running as far back as Austin Cindric, there were few weeks where Logano felt as if had a winning car. Outside of superspeedways, Logano’s list of strong runs is limited to WWT Raceway, Richmond, and playoff Martinsville.
What was Joey Logano’s best asset this season? Well timed cautions. Someone on the 22 team must have had a golden horseshoe lying around. Logano lucked out numerous times throughout the season for some of his best finishes. Both of his Top-3 finishes at Sonoma and spinrg Martinsville were the result of well timed cautions. Playoff Kansas, Chicago Street Course, and the ROVAL all featured beneficial cautions for the 22 team. In these situations, Logano usually ran outside the Top-10 until the caution caught Logano on the right side of the pit cycle.
2023 Grade: C
On paper, Joey Logano’s season does not look bad. When reviewing the actual races though, there was something amiss with the 22 team. The speed simply was not there. While the results are nice, surely Penske cannot be happy that Logano was off the mark most weeks. Logano is no fan favorite, but it would be nice to see a two-time champion running toward the front more often. Plus, Logano was eliminated in the first round of that playoffs. All that caution luck caught up to him at Bristol. Despite this, Logano’s results prevent his grade from dipping below a C.
2024 Outlook
Despite the sluggish tendency of the 22 car, Joey Logano should again be considered a championship contender next year. Logano and crew chief Paul Wolfe have already found championship success together before. The playoffs should line up nicely for Logano as well. Superspeedways and road courses serve Logano well. As long as he can avoid the chaos, a Round of 8 appearance is the expectation. Much like Blaney, the final four races play well to Logano’s strengths. Even if the speed remains the same as this year, this team has proven they can also get hot at the right time to win the championship.
Team Penske Grade: B
While it was another championship season for Team Penske, 2023 was not as strong as last year. Last year, all three drivers made the Round of 12. Both Blaney and Logano made the Round of 8. The team won numerous big events, such as The Clash, Daytona 500, and All-Star Race.
This year, Austin Cindric was an afterthought. Joey Logano was eliminated from the first round. Although Ryan Blaney won the championship, it is the weakest championship season in NASCAR history. Outside of Logano’s Atlanta win, all of the team’s highlights are courtesy of Blaney. Winning the championship is fantastic and makes this season a success. There is no argument about that. However, it would be strange if there were not some underlying concerns about the team moving forward.
At the end of 2022, Team Penske looked to be set to lead Ford for years to come. After this season, there is a legitimate question whether Penske will be the best Ford team in 2024. RFK Racing was more consistent than Penske from start to finish. While Blaney won the championship, Austin Cindric took a massive step backwards and Joey Logano depended on luck for his good stat line. Team Penske is still a top tiered team. At this moment, they are still the top Ford team. However, the doubt is starting to creep in. Will 2023 be a one year blip or will Team Penske continue a slight downward trend?
Writer’s Note: “2023 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.
