Austin Dillon didn’t have the best of races at Bristol, and neither is he sitting comfortably in the standings right now. At Bristol, Cindric narrowly avoided elimination after his car caught fire during the race, but he managed to keep going and advance in the playoffs, where he now sits at a risky 9th with teammate Joey Logano at 10th. The Bristol fire may have been controlled, but can Team Penske and Ford keep playing with flames in the playoffs?

This is because it wasn’t just Cindric; even Josh Berry’s playoff run has been plagued by bad luck, and Bristol was no different for him too. Just like Austin Cindric, Berry also had his car catch fire, forcing him to retire early. So this issue has been common among several Ford drivers, caused by debris buildup in the rocker panel that sparks fires. And veteran Kevin Harvick now warns that Team Penske, Ford’s lone hope in the playoffs, must fix this issue before it costs them everything.

Cindric survives, but Harvick sees deeper issues for Ford

Harvick talked on his Happy Hour podcast about how Cindric was saved from elimination despite the fire as Chase Elliott suffered a DNF, “With Chase Elliott out of the race, that really saved Austin Cindric, with the #9 car and everything he had happen with his incident. Him getting it out and being able to figure out how to put the fire out and keep the car rolling. That was the difference between he and the #21 car.” Cindric could do what Berry couldn’t. And Elliott’s DNF meant one less contender in the playoff fight, which shifted the cutoff line in Cindric’s favor.

But Harvick then emphasized the deeper issue that the Fords are facing, “The Fords definitely have issues right there, that need to be addressed if we’re going to be in these types of races, with whatever they’ve got going on.” Harvick addresses the problem for Ford is real, where the cars are catching fire due to debris buildup in the rocker panel. The examples of Cindric and Berry show that this incident was not an isolated one happening just to either of them, but it’s a manufacturer-level issue. Harvick’s concern is that unless Ford addresses the root cause and tries to fix it quickly, their remaining playoff hopes with Team Penske could definitely be in jeopardy.

That being said, Ford clearly has plenty of work ahead after suffering two fires in the same race. Team Penske will no doubt be working around the clock to find a solution, because the last thing they need is another flare-up damaging their title hopes. As of now, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano are carrying Ford’s banner as their strongest contenders, and it would be a crushing blow if mechanical issues, instead of performance, end their playoff run.

But how does Harvick know this? Well, it’s because he isn’t alien to this issue. He said, “I don’t know that you’re going to get into a tire wear situation. Where you get all that buildup in the rocker again, because that’s what typically catches it on fire. Mine burned up in 2022-2023, whatever year that was, and we’re still burning them up. Progression seems to be a little slow. The problem-solving in that department seems to be going a little slow. We’ll get it sooner or later.”

The fact that the issue is still happening years later, after Harvick faced it, shows how the progress in this department still has a long way to go before perfecting it. That firsthand experience is why Harvick is confident in pointing out Ford’s shortcomings and stressing the urgency for a real fix.

Can Ford take the fight to Toyota at New Hampshire?

The Fords head to New Hampshire with plenty to prove after the playoffs have seen the Toyota domination for now from Joe Gibbs Racing. That domination came out of Chase Briscoe’s win at Darlington, Denny Hamlin’s at Gateway, and Christopher Bell’s at Bristol. This dream run has shifted the momentum firmly in Toyota’s corner, leaving Penske and Ford searching for answers.

Fortunately, New Hampshire Motor Speedway has traditionally been one of Ford’s better tracks, offering hope of a turnaround. And Ryan Blaney especially feels that this could be the place where things can swing back their way. He explained, “I feel like New Hampshire has been one of those tracks to where we have run well and just not really finished where we deserved. I felt really good there last year.”

Blaney’s words underline the confidence Ford carries into the weekend, knowing they’ve shown speed here before. With Blaney, Joey Logano, and Austin Cindric still in the fight, Penske will be desperate to convert their New Hampshire potential into points.

The challenge will be, of course, to match Toyota’s consistency. And it’s not just Ford, but Chevrolet will also be hungry to bounce back after quiet runs in the first round.