Austin Cindric has one simple answer to illustrate why he should be contending for NASCAR Cup Series victories on a weekly basis.
“I drive the No. 2 car for Roger Penske,” Cindric stated.
For the Ohio native, adding more stats to Team Penske’s win column is the baseline expectation that comes with driving for one of the most successful teams (Team Penske) in motorsports history.
And so far, other than his stunning 2022 Daytona 500 triumph as a Cup Series rookie, Cindric has failed to reach victory lane. He admitted it’s been a point of frustration this year, as he has rapidly fallen to 20th in the standings over the last two months.
“I can promise you wholeheartedly that I plan on showing up at the race track every week with the capability of winning races,” Cindric said.
Though he’s only two years into his Cup Series career, his lack of experience in NASCAR’s premier class isn’t an excuse he likes to fall back on.
“I’m racing against guys that are the best at what they do and they’ve been the best at what they do for a long time, but that’s what makes this enjoyable for me is to be out and be able to compete with the best and on certain days to be the best,” Cindric added.
His five highest finishes this season include a sixth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 11th at Alanta Motor Speedway, sixth at Circuit of The Americas in Texas, 19th at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway dirt race and another 19th at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
“My best finish in the last two months was on dirt. I don’t think anybody would have guessed that,” Cindric joked.
Despite the less-than-optimal results, the Team Penske driver hasn’t pushed the panic button. While a number of things have gone wrong at the race track, both in and out of his control, the bottom line for Cindric is that “a win changes everything.”
Should he put the No. 2 Ford in victory lane, he would secure a berth in the end-of-season playoffs for a second consecutive year. Without a win, Cindric would need to collect enough points to move past the cutoff line, which he is four spots and 42 points behind.
“I drive for a race team and I’m a driver that’s capable of winning races in the Cup Series, so, from that standpoint, I feel like there’s been a lot of off-track things that have really progressed nicely over the last two months for our team that you necessarily can’t see,” Cindric said
One facet of this included the return of two of his pit crew members — Keiston France (front tire changer) and Patrick Gray (jackman) — for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway on May 29. Both France and Gray served a two-race suspension from the No. 2 team after NASCAR dealt a penalty to Cindric for a loose tire at Kansas Speedway.
Cindric is eager to arrive at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., to take another stab at victory — especially after his Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney scored a big win at the Coca-Cola 600.
“A lot of things haven’t quite gone right recently, but I trust the process and I’m certainly driving for an incredible team,” Cindric said.
Team Penske has tallied 140 NASCAR Cup Series wins over the last 50 years.
Cindric will aim to deliver No. 141 to the team on Sunday.