For the first time in the Gen7 era, Team Penske is not the reigning Cup Series Champion. The 3-year championship streak was snapped after none of the 3 Penske drivers managed to advance to the Championship Four. Unable to take advantage of their Phoenix superiority, Team Penske had to settle for only winning the Championship Race. To much fanfare from the anti-Penske (more so anti-Logano) fanbase, the reintroduction of The Chase should eliminate weak champions. Although Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano put up statistically the worst championship seasons ever, do not count the Ford team out. Is there another championship looming under The Chase format? Find out what to expect in the 2026 Season Preview for Team Penske.
#2 – Austin Cindric
Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Crew Chief: Brian Wilson
2025 Points Finish: 14
2026 Announced Sponsors: Menards, Discount Tire, Keystone Light, Freightliner, Snap On
There is a segment of the NASCAR world that is waiting for Austin Cindric to exceed how he performed in his rookie campaign. Through 4 fulltime seasons, Cindric’s rookie year still stands out as the notable exception to consistent mediocrity. Win-and-in has saved Cindric some face from experiencing more wrath about his subpar performances. If not for that, Cindric could be facing multiple seasons finishing outside the Top-20 in points. Instead, 2023 looms as the only time that has occurred. Now, the return of The Chase might shine more light to Cindric’s shortcomings.
2026 Expectations
A superspeedway win along with a handful of surprise performances would be a fair expectation for Austin Cindric. Expecting more than that would be foolish. Although Cindric is driving in Penske equipment, things have not clicked enough to think he is about to have a surge in performance. More than likely, he will be a fringe Chase competitor throughout the first 26 races.
The Chase Factor
Out of the Team Penske camp, Austin Cindric will likely be the most effected by The Chase returning. Under the points last year, Cindric finished the regular season 15th in points. Even factoring in the additional points for winning, Cindric still would have barely scrapped his way into The Chase. That said, there is not a strong feeling that the 2 team will make it this year. Win-and-in has locked Cindric in the past two seasons. Without that, the pressure to perform is a worry for this team. Their consistency leaves a lot to be desired and they definitively lag behind the other two teams.
Silly Season Implications
Each of the three headlining NASCAR teams has one intriguing silly season storyline. Despite making the playoffs in 3 of 4 years, it would be stubborn to call Austin Cindric’s Cup career a huge success. While he has claimed 3 victories, the young driver’s performance is not measuring up to Penske standards. Does it seem likely that Cindric is entering 2026 on the hotseat? Yes and no. There were some rumblings about Cindric getting the boot from the 2 to go to the 21. Obviously, that did not come to pass. If Cindric has another season like his previous 4, it might not spell the end of his time with Team Penske. Although, the rumors will certainly intensify.
#12 – Ryan Blaney
Photo by Michael Bush/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Crew Chief: Jonathan Hassler
2025 Points Finish: 6
2026 Announced Sponsors: Menards, Discount Tire, Advanced Auto Parts, BodyArmor, Wurth, Dent Wizard, Wabash
Ryan Blaney failed his mission to continue the alternating trend of Team Penske champions. Joey Logano had the evened years covered; Blaney had to figure it out during the odd years. Kidding aside, 2025 arguably was the best of Blaney’s career. He hit career highs in wins, Top-5s, and laps led. As per usual, his consistency remained there throughout the season. At the end of the first 26 races, Blaney sat second in points.
2026 Expectations
At this point in Ryan Blaney’s career, you know what you should be getting. In 4 of the past seasons 5, Blaney has won at least 3 races while compiling double digit Top-5s and 18 or more Top-10s. He will usually sit in or near the Top-5 in points from start to finish. Additionally, Blaney is Team Penske’s best overall threat to win on any given weekend. He can pull it off at intermediates, short tracks, and superspeedways. For 2026, expect Blaney to rack up another 3 wins while being Ford’s best championship competitor.
The Chase Factor
Although Team Penske benefitted the most during the Gen7 era of the playoffs, Ryan Blaney should be able to thrive in The Chase. Now that he has consistently proven to be a multi-time winner per season, Blaney should have no trouble running among the Hendrick and JGR drivers for the championship. Where Blaney might find the most trouble is in the luck department. Usually, Blaney will experience a stretch of a season where anything and everything could go wrong. Hopefully for him, that stretch is not found in The Chase.
#22 – Joey Logano
Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Crew Chief: Paul Wolfe
2025 Points Finish: 7
2026 Announced Sponsors: Shell Pennzoil, AAA, Discount Tire, Hunt Brothers Pizza
The man who started the revolution that led to The Chase. Joey Logano’s 2024 championship win sparked the conversation that brought about change. While the 2025 certainly played a critical role in getting rid of the playoffs, Logano winning the championship with an average finish 3 spots worse than the previous worst (Blaney 2023) was the foundation. Ironically, Joey Logano’s 2025 was an improvement in terms of on track speed. Rather than lucking in many wins, Logano found himself on the wrong end of the lucky horseshoe last year.
2026 Expectations
For a 3-time champion, one would think it would be easy to pencil in the expectations for Joey Logano. However, the 22 team has been an enigma these past few seasons. Expecting at least one win seems fair, since Team Penske dominates the superspeedways plus Logano’s tendency to pull random wins out of thin air. Outside of that though, this season could see Logano return to a more consistent form or continue his recent performances. The optimistic view would be that the 22 team adjusts to the new format and stops sandbagging. Should that be the expectation though?
The Chase Factor
While many will believe that Joey Logano will flounder without win-and-in/advance, it might not be wise to factor him out. Logano seemingly adapts to whatever circumstance is thrown his way. Not only with playoff formats, but new tracks and races as well. Who saw dirt specialist Joey Logano winning the first Bristol Dirt Race? The 22 team will certainly look to make the adjustments to The Chase format. That said, this team either has massive adjustments to make or a complete overhaul in performance. Logano has raced outside the Top-10 in points for the better part of the past 3 seasons. They won when it mattered, but often times due to strategy rather than elite performance. Logano will be the most interesting driver to follow during the 2026 season.