DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Although Austin Cindric mentioned the “packed house” present to witness his Daytona 500 win, he said that he never really let himself focus on the fun and fanfare of the week.
“It’s just not who I am,” Cindric said. “I’m way too competitive. I know how much is at stake and how much work I’ve put in to really pay attention to it. Like I said, I’m not externally motivated or intimidated.”
Cindric’s climb through the NASCAR ranks has been characterized by his intense discipline. As the son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric, Austin’s ascension to the powerhouse Cup organization after four full-time Xfinity seasons was unsurprising, but it was never given. It was his composure behind the wheel and ability to get the job done that led team owner Roger Penske to put the rookie in the No. 2 Ford vacated by Brad Keselowski.
Those characteristics paid off on NASCAR’s biggest stage Sunday as Cindric fended off a flank of competitors, including Keselowski, teammate Ryan Blaney and Toyota driver Bubba Wallace racing for the checkered flag in overtime.
For Cindric, at 23 years old, it was his first Cup victory in eight starts in NASCAR’s top series after making seven of those behind the wheel of Penske’s No. 33 Ford last year. He became the first rookie to win the Daytona 500, as Trevor Bayne wasn’t eligible for rookie of the year honors when he won the race in 2011.
“I don’t think you can express how hard it is to play defense at one of these races when you’re leading, to be able to finish that off,” No. 2 crew chief Jeremy Bullins said, noting the time away from the track Cindric spends studying racing.
Motorsports are not just a family passion, but Cindric’s obsession. (“There’s nothing more important to me than being part of this sport,” Cindric said.) Although he might not yet be a household name, Cindric has a distinct personality and he’s primed for more wins in NASCAR’s top series, along with the young drivers he hurtled through the finish line alongside at Daytona International Speedway.
The top four finishing drivers at this year’s Daytona 500, including Cindric, were Wallace, Chase Briscoe and Blaney, and all are under 30 years old. Although Wallace and Blaney have multiple years of experience racing at NASCAR’s top level, they don’t quite sit in the veteran category of champions like Keselowski or Kevin Harvick or the Busch brothers. The race not only marked the superspeedway debut of the Next Gen car, but it highlighted the competitive arrival of NASCAR’s next generation of drivers, and Cindric is among them.
“With the new crop of drivers, and we have some drivers that are retiring, I think it’s leaving an opening for these young kids,” Penske team owner Roger Penske said. “When you look at the 5 car, (Kyle) Larson, and what he’s done, come in, just bang, when he got into the car, I think you’re going to see a lot of that.”
“With the (new) car being somewhat of a leveler, because everyone has got the same hammer, then it’s up to strategy, execution and the driver,” he continued.
Prior to Sunday’s race, Cup rookies and veterans alike mentioned the potential for that effect this year; with everyone starting at ground zero, why couldn’t this be the best year for a rookie to enter the Cup Series? Why couldn’t a rookie win the Daytona 500? While the superspeedway opener is just one event on a schedule of 36 races at a variety of tracks, Cindric’s win was no fluke, nor was Blaney’s presence on the last lap.
Bullins, who is a former crew chief for Blaney and Keselowski, described the evolution of both Blaney and Cindric as drivers.
“Ryan, he had so much talent and just needed the experience, and I think it’s the same thing with Austin,” Bullins said. “I think the years he’s been in the Xfinity car and the experience he gained there just made him better … I hope this (win) gives him a sense of belonging over here, that ‘I can do this’ and ‘I do fit in’ (mentality) and all those things, because that confidence is very inspiring and leads you to do great things.
“... I’m telling you, the kid studies and he works hard. And he puts a lot of effort into it. If he’s not doing well, he will figure it out for sure.”
The Next Gen car has been described as emphasizing driver ability and handling, and Cindric’s nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic might be exactly what it takes to unlock it. In the hours after his win, he was already thinking about performance analysis, saying that there was “still a long list” that he planned to evaluate in terms of driving the Next Gen car.
“There’s so much different about this car, but at the same time it is the same style of racing,” Cindric said. “... The runs bode a lot differently. It was really interesting to see who picked up on different things throughout the race, even in practice … 400 miles in, (we) learned a lot about it and got ourselves in really good track position by the end of the race.
“I think I knew what I was going to have to do to be able to hold cars off if I (had) that opportunity.”
He blocked his teammate then battled with Wallace through the finish line, exhibiting the composure of well-studied veteran and the scrappiness of a rookie hungry for his first win. Later in the evening, after a tire-shredding burnout, he said that he’d try to soak in the win before Fontana. His personality suggests that will be short-lived.
“As far as what’s after the Daytona 500, there’s a race next week that needs to be won by somebody,” Cindric said. “So got to start focusing on that at some point.”
