Information By: DREW TAYLOR / TEAM PENSKE – AUSTIN, TX
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Qualifying
Austin, Texas – March 23, 2024
Circuit of the Americas Decal
The NASCAR Cup Series opened its weekend at Circuit of the Americas for the first of five road course races on the 2024 schedule. Cup Series teams were allotted 40 minutes of practice Saturday prior to the start of group qualifying around the 3.41-mile, 20-turn course to set the field for Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix.
Austin Cindric will lead Team Penske to green from the 11th starting position in the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang after coming up one spot short of advancing to the final round of qualifying out of Group B. Ryan Blaney will roll of the grid 28th in the No. 12 Menards/Jack Link’s Ford Mustang, followed by Joey Logano’s No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang in 35th.
Austin Cindric, driver, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang
11th
Ryan Blaney, driver, No. 12 Menards/Jack Link’s Ford Mustang
28th
Joey Logano, driver, No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang
35th
HEAR FROM BLANEY: “It was nice to get some more laps than usual in practice. Our Menards/Jack Link’s Ford Mustang has speed in it, I just need to clean up a lot of stuff. Hopefully we can figure it out for tomorrow. I thought our race trim performed better than trying to go out there and lay down a fast lap so hopefully it goes a bit better tomorrow. It was fun to work through the new sections of pavement to the old sections and see how the car transitioned through it. I wish we were starting a little better tomorrow but hopefully we can make our way forward.”
MIC’D UP: Joey Logano returns to the NASCAR on FOX broadcast booth as a guest analyst for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Circuit of the Americas. Coverage of the 46-lap event begins at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.
RETURNING TO COTA: Austin Cindric comes into his fourth start at Circuit of the Americas with a pair of top-10 finishes in his last three starts, including a career-best sixth-place result in 2023. Joey Logano was the Stage 1 winner at COTA in 2021 en route to a third-place finish in the series’ inaugural trip to the 20-turn road course.
RACE DAY: The NASCAR Cup Series takes on its first of five road course races on the 2024 schedule at Circuit of the Americas Sunday. Coverage of the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.