Team Penske has made a major NASCAR Cup Series pit crew change just days before the 2026 playoffs begin, moving the stronger crew from Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Ford to Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford. The change came after the Chase field was set and ahead of Sunday’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Blaney enters the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs as the No. 2 seed, 25 points behind regular-season champion Denny Hamlin. He has three wins and has shown strong speed throughout the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
His pit crew, however, ranked 32nd through the first 26 races and lost a net 129 positions. Cindric’s crew ranked 10th and finished the regular season at minus-8. Team Penske told both drivers about the change Monday morning.
NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Force Team Penske Change
Blaney made it clear that the NASCAR Cup Series pit crew change was not his call, saying the decision came directly from Team Penske’s senior leadership.
“I did not ask for a change. That came from above me. I wasn’t in there going into meetings wanting a change. It was just something that Team Penske, higher above me, decided to do.”
Blaney also thanked the pit crew that worked with him throughout the NASCAR Cup Series season. He credited them for helping him win races and deal with difficult moments.
Cindric understood the decision, saying the NASCAR Cup Series championship goal made the pit crew change understandable.
“Just giving the team the best chance to win the championship. I think that’s fully understandable, and it’s a pretty understandable motivation given the time of year.”
When asked if he pushed back, Cindric was direct.
“It’s not my race team, so no.”
Ryan Blaney Gets Stronger NASCAR Cup Series Pit Crew
The new No. 12 pit crew includes several people Blaney already knows. Fueler Andrew Lackey worked with him in the Truck Series through 2019. Tire carrier Jesse Mills also worked on the No. 12 car earlier in Blaney’s Penske career.
Jackman Jourdan Osinskie was part of Blaney’s 2023 championship team before moving to Cindric’s No. 2 car this season.
“He got moved to the 2 car this year, so I’m back working with him. The final two I haven’t worked with a ton through the years, but you get to know all those guys.”
Blaney has already started working with the new crew ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. He said each crew member has different ways of doing things, making communication important.
“I feel like everyone has their own quirks, so just talking to those guys has been super helpful to me. If there is something that they want differently, then I will for sure adjust to that.”
Austin Cindric Faces Tough NASCAR Cup Series Change
Cindric enters the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs as the No. 15 seed, 95 points behind Hamlin. His crew ranked 10th during the regular season, making the change a major loss of continuity for his team.
Cindric said the hardest part was losing the crew members who helped him reach the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
“I’m pretty close with the guys I work with and, yeah, I think the main level of frustration is I don’t get to see through the season with the guys that I feel like were responsible for me getting there.”
Cindric already knows most of the crew members moving onto his No. 2 Ford. He expects to work with them during the 10-race Chase.
Blaney said the NASCAR Cup Series pit crew change has not changed his confidence heading into the playoffs.
“I felt very strongly about going into The Chase even before this because I think our team has done a good job of figuring out speed in the race car, figuring out how to get better on pit road, overcoming some times where we have adversity.”
He summed up Team Penske’s decision simply: “At the end of the day, there’s a business side to it. ‘Hey, this is the best way we have to win Roger Penske a championship,’ so you welcome those guys in with open arms.”
NASCAR Cup Series Drivers Respond to Painful Pit Crew Swap Ahead of Playoffs