Penske Executes Blockbuster Pit Crew Swap for Blaney and Cindric Ahead of Cup Playoffs
Team Penske Shakes Up Crew Lineups to Boost Blaney's Title Hopes
CONCORD, N.C. — Team Penske is pulling out all the stops ahead of the 2026 Chase for the Championship, executing a wholesale pit crew swap between drivers Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric. The dramatic move comes as the organization looks to shore up critical weaknesses on pit road for its top title contender.
Blaney, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, enters the postseason reset as the formidable No. 2 seed. Despite his strong on-track performance—including a stellar victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway—the No. 12 team has been plagued by mistakes in the pits all season. According to industry performance metrics, Blaney’s over-the-wall crew ranked a dismal 32nd out of 35 full-time entries.
To salvage his championship bid, Penske is giving Blaney the highly efficient crew of the No. 2 team, driven by Austin Cindric (the No. 15 seed). Cindric's former crew currently ranks tenth overall in pit road efficiency.
The New Over-The-Wall Lineups
Starting this weekend, the reconstituted crew for Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang will consist of:
- Jackman: Jourdan Osinskie
- Fuelman: Andrew Lackey
- Front Tire Changer: Justin Armwood
- Rear Tire Changer: Geoffrey Wall
- Tire Carrier: Jesse Mills
Meanwhile, Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Ford Mustang will inherit the former No. 12 crew:
- Jackman: Graham Stoddard
- Fuelman: Chris Conklin
- Front Tire Changer: Keiston France
- Rear Tire Changer: Justin Fox
- Tire Carrier: Trevor Aspey
A Season of Frustration on Pit Road
This is far from Team Penske's first attempt to fix the No. 12 team's pit road woes this year. Back in April, the team swapped out the jackman after bleeding nearly 100 positions on pit road in the opening two months of the season. A little over a month later, another change was made to the rear tire changer in an effort to stabilize performance.
With minor adjustments failing to yield the desired results, Penske leadership ultimately decided that a complete roster swap was necessary to give Blaney a fighting chance at a second Cup championship.
While the No. 12 and No. 2 teams undergo radical restructuring, stability remains the name of the game for Joey Logano. The driver of the No. 22 Penske Ford enters the postseason as the No. 9 seed in pursuit of his fourth Cup title, with his pit crew remaining entirely unchanged.
In NASCAR's high-stakes elimination format, a fraction of a second on pit road can make or break a championship run. Penske is betting that this high-risk, high-reward roster shuffle will pay immediate dividends when the green flag drops.