In a thrilling conclusion to Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Austin Cindric edged out the competition in a dramatic last-lap pass to secure his first victory of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. The 26-year-old Team Penske driver’s win came in spectacular fashion, with a margin of just .022 seconds in what turned into one of the most exciting finishes of the season.

The race featured the trademark excitement that NASCAR fans have come to expect at Talladega, with 67 lead changes among 23 different drivers throughout the day. Cindric’s victory was made even more significant following post-race inspections that disqualified Ryan Preece and Joey Logano due to technical violations involving their cars’ spoilers.

“I’m just so proud of this team from the [pit] cycles to the fast cars to the fuel-only stops,” Cindric said after the race. His crew delivered when it mattered most, executing the fastest final pit stop with just 17 laps remaining, positioning him to contend for the win.

The victory didn’t come easily, as Cindric acknowledged the challenge of holding off the Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron who finished second and third respectively after the disqualifications. “It definitely wasn’t easy,” Cindric admitted. “Kyle [Larson] did a lot to take care of me, pushing me at the right times in the tri-oval.”

For Larson, the second-place finish represented his best career result at Talladega, a track where the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion has historically struggled. “I wanted to take it, but just felt like the gap was too big,” Larson said of his attempt to pass Cindric in the final moments.

The race was notably cleaner than many previous Talladega events, with only four caution flags—two of which were scheduled stage breaks. This restraint from the drivers resulted in long green-flag runs and strategic racing throughout the afternoon.

With the disqualifications factored in, Noah Gragson and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five, followed by Carson Hocevar, Alex Bowman, and Bubba Wallace, who won Stage 2. Daniel Suárez and Austin Dillon completed the top ten.

The day proved disastrous for some notable contenders, including former champions Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski. Both drivers were collected in an accident on lap 43 during a pit stop cycle, ending their chances early. Keselowski, who leads all active drivers with six Talladega wins, described the incident as being “the ham in the sandwich that got squeezed.”

Cindric’s victory continues a remarkable streak at Talladega—he becomes the tenth different winner in the last ten races at the iconic 2.66-mile high-banked track, highlighting the unpredictable nature of superspeedway racing.

William Byron maintains his championship points lead following his third-place finish, now 31 points ahead of teammate Kyle Larson. Denny Hamlin sits third in the standings, 52 points behind Byron.

The NASCAR Cup Series now shifts to Texas Motor Speedway for next Sunday’s Wurth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY, where Chase Elliott returns as the defending race winner.

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images