Joey Logano crossed the line first at the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. He led 199 out of 200 laps, pocketed a million-dollar prize, and walked away with the trophy. Yet, the headlines weren’t about him. Instead, the spotlight landed on a brawl between Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The race, meant to be a throwback celebration, ended up as a long, predictable procession. Fans and drivers alike called it boring, labelling it a failure.

Before the race, Logano had said he expected “tight battles” and “hard racing” on the newly repaved short track. Instead, the race turned into a slow burn. There was almost no passing, no late drama, and no real strategy swings despite NASCAR’s tire experiments. Dale Earnhardt Jr. defended the event, saying he loved the track but wished for better competition. However, Denny Hamlin was more blunt as he said, “Nobody gives a f*** about Joey Logano winning.”

Fans, multiple drivers, and experts asked NASCAR to make some important changes as they saw the All-Star race losing its charm. Now, NASCAR has tried to spice things up for the 2025 All-Star Race. They proposed a bold new idea to shake up the competition. But even with some teams rejecting it, Roger Penske’s men showed they are ready to embrace any challenge NASCAR throws their way.

Roger Penske and Co. embrace the challenge!

Ahead of the 2025 All-Star Race, NASCAR announced several new tweaks to make the event more exciting. They unveiled a new format with expanded laps, a “Manufacturer Showdown,” and a controversial “Promoter’s Caution.” But the real shock was the abandoned idea: letting teams bring whatever car setup they wanted for the race. “Run What You Brung” could have allowed free innovation under basic safety rules. While the majority of teams turned it down, Roger Penske’s crew didn’t flinch.

Michael Nelson, President of NASCAR Operations for Team Penske, said, “Bring it on. Whatever the rules are, wherever the races are, we just try to take that for what it is.” He further stressed that Penske always gives input when asked but focuses on succeeding under any circumstances. Meanwhile, Austin Cindric’s crew chief, Brian Wilson, also echoed Nelson’s sentiments. “I echo what Michael said there. You know, if they change the rules, I feel like there’s always opportunity there, and, uh, you know, our group does a very good job of trying to maximize that early on,” he said.

He further hinted that those internal opinions on the proposal varied among crew chiefs, but the spirit was clear: Penske races with what they’re given. Notably, the Run What You Brung idea was simple but groundbreaking. Teams could innovate openly, tweaking parts and setups however they wanted. No standard templates. No long rulebooks—just safety guidelines. It was a chance to uncover fixes for the underwhelming Next Gen short-track racing. It could have given engineers and crew chiefs the freedom to find real solutions.

But cost concerns killed the dream. Teams feared spending big money for a non-points event. Denny Hamlin confirmed on X that teams dropped the idea and promised to reveal the reasoning on his next podcast. “It is true. I’ll talk about it Monday, and why the decision was made,” he posted. Meanwhile, talking about other rule changes, especially for promoters’ caution, Hamlin slammed NASCAR.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver and co-owner of the 23XI Racing team said that it’s not new. “I don’t know how it’s much different from what we already have, truthfully,” he retorted to Fox’s Bob Pockrass. Drivers like Chase Elliott also questioned the decision, saying, “I’d just as soon know that that’s coming and that’s the plan beforehand that they have one that they’re gonna throw that they’ve announced is gonna be for entertainment purposes.”

Despite the criticism, NASCAR loaded the 2025 All-Star Race with changes. The race expands to 250 laps, up from 200. There’s a competition caution at Lap 100. If the “Promoter’s Caution” hasn’t been used by Lap 200, it’s scrapped. The Manufacturer Showdown adds a new team twist—Chevy, Ford, and Toyota will compete based on combined finishing positions. Heat races and the All-Star Open will decide the final grid.

Notably, the changes aim to avoid a repeat of 2024’s dull parade. NASCAR wants drama, passing, and real strategy. Penske’s readiness to accept the unknown shows a no-time-to-second-guess mentality. Meanwhile, internal challenges inside Team Penske show just how intense winning at all costs can get.

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Team Penske’s official addresses internal team conflicts!

Behind Penske’s unified front with NASCAR lies tension. The fire between Joey Logano and Austin Cindric at Talladega proved that. Late in Stage 2, Cindric made a move that cost Logano a stage win. Logano exploded over team radio, unleashing a furious rant. “Way to go, Austin. Dumb f***. Gave it to him. Gave a Toyota the stage win,” Logano raged. His frustration wasn’t just about losing points—it showed the pressure boiling inside Team Penske.

Michael Nelson addressed the issue head-on after the race. “It’s just like a normal family. We have to close the door when we’re not in front of everybody else and work through the issues that we have,” he said. Nelson further explained that winning means everything to the drivers, and in the heat of competition, emotions run high. “It’s something you have to continually work on, race after race,” he added.

While he admitted it wasn’t a good look, he also praised the team’s long history of working through internal issues better than most. However, the outburst at Talladega highlights a bigger truth about elite teams like Roger Penske’s Team Penske. Success requires raw competitiveness, but managing egos and mistakes behind closed doors is just as important. Nelson made it clear: frustration will happen, but fixing it quietly, professionally, and quickly is the Penske way.