On one hand, Austin Cindric, driving the #2 Team Penske car, captured his third NASCAR Cup Series victory; on the other side, Ryan Blaney’s day in the #12 ended prematurely at Talladega, falling victim to chaos not of his own making. Meanwhile, Joey Logano found himself frustrated as well.
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But unlike Blaney, whose disappointment stemmed from suffering his fourth DNF of the season, Logano’s irritation was directed at Cindric toward the close of Stage 2 — a situation Dale Earnhardt Jr. later helped clarify.
Although Cindric had been leading as Stage 2 neared its conclusion, he suddenly had to check up and slip out of line, opening the door for Bubba Wallace to seize control and claim the stage win.
Logano crossed the line second, followed by Kyle Larson in third, with Cindric dropping to fourth. Despite securing a runner-up finish in Stage 2, Logano was fuming on the radio, taking Cindric to task for surrendering the stage win to a Toyota. He vented:
“Way to go Austin, way to go, you dumb f*ck! Way to f*cking go. What a stupid sh*t. You just gave it to him. Gave a Toyota a stage win. Nice job. Way to go. What a dumba*s. Put that in the book again.”
While Logano’s fiery outburst against his own teammate might have ruffled a few feathers, Kelley Crandall, a NASCAR journalist, quickly stepped in to offer a broader perspective on her X handle, noting:
“We all love the radio chatter, and it adds to the event. But we all need to understand that it’s the heat of the moment, and those drivers are in a bubble and only see their point of view. So, don’t take it too seriously.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr., echoing her sentiment, also chimed in to defend the Team Penske driver. Resharing Crandall’s post, Dale Jr. added, “So true. We get in those cars and there ain’t no one and no time to second-guess the next thing that comes out. And what’s the point of saying it unless that button is pushed?”
So true. We get in those cars and there ain’t no one and no time to second guess the next thing that comes out. And what’s the point of saying it unless that button is pushed. https://t.co/hjUJ67qncA
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) April 27, 2025
Fans, too, seemed to rally behind Junior’s stance this time. One commented, “Words can’t describe how much I hate Logano but I feel for these drivers now. They say things on the radio, in the heat of the moment, and it gets broadcast on national TV and follows them from now on.”
Another fan reflected, “I’ve been watching a lot of old radioactives lately. It kind of surprised me how vulgar things could get out there. The most intense racing I’ve ever done was on a gocart, and I almost flipped someone off. Can’t imagine the stress that actual racers have to deal with.”
Drawing a comparison to other sports broadcasts, a fan pointed out, “Notice other sports mostly only play the humorous or touching moments of players or coaches when they are wearing microphones. Only when a scandal arises do they releases the bad stuff usually. Racing doesn’t hide it. It’s there to be heard regardless of TV.”
Meanwhile, Clint Bowyer, calling the action from the booth, observed that Logano’s frustration stemmed from expecting Austin Cindric to push him to the start/finish line. Kevin Harvick, seated alongside Bowyer, also weighed in, suggesting that Logano’s frustration might cool once he reviews the footage after the race.
“In my opinion, Cindric should have went by him because he had a lot of momentum and probably won it himself. He stayed in line behind that teammate. Joey will go back and watch it again and have a different opinion of that. I know he’s upset, but that’s why he’s a competitor and a three-time champion,” Harvick remarked.
After reviewing the footage, it remains to be seen whether Logano will stand by his initial outburst or soften his stance, as Harvick hinted. Regardless, he might find some consolation in the fact that while Cindric handed Wallace the stage win, he ultimately kept the race victory within the Penske camp.
