In the high-stakes world of NASCAR, the Penske garage is notorious for its heavy burden of expectations. Young drivers like Austin Cindric find themselves in the formidable shadow of teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, who have been commanding the NASCAR scene for the past three years. Yet, Cindric is proving he is not one to shy away from a challenge.
Noted NASCAR YouTuber Eric Estepp has highlighted Cindric as a contender to watch this season, following an impressive performance at the Pennzoil 400. Cindric’s statistics from the Vegas race are hard to ignore. He began in third position, led for 63 laps, and snagged a victory in Stage 1. Despite a loose wheel leading to two additional pit stops and a drop in his standing, he still managed a sixth-place finish. Had it not been for the tire mishap, Cindric could have potentially outperformed Logano, who led for 53 laps to secure second place.
Estepp’s analysis of Cindric’s performance is as follows: “Cindric is currently 21st in points, which may not seem impressive at first glance. However, a deeper dive into the data reveals a different story. Cindric has led 159 laps this season, the second most in the NASCAR Cup Series, and has secured a couple of top ten finishes, including his recent success in Vegas. Following a setback at the Circuit of Americas, Cindric has bounced back in the past couple of weeks. Despite a mid-race hiccup in Vegas due to a loose wheel, he clawed his way back to a sixth-place finish, outperforming several other top drivers who encountered similar challenges.”
In fact, Cindric has led a staggering 14.1% of the total laps run this season – a feat only surpassed by Logano, who has led 247 laps. Already, Cindric is over halfway to his last season’s tally of 256 laps led. His steadily impressive performances this year, including a win at the Daytona Duels and an eighth-place finish, are a marked improvement from his 22nd-place finish at the 2024 Daytona 500, where he started in 6th place.
Cindric’s recent Stage win and sixth-place finish in Las Vegas echo a similar pattern to his 2024 Cup Series run. However, unlike last year where he finished 29th, Cindric’s improved performance suggests a positive shift in the Penske garage, with him reaping the most benefits. Despite an incident-related penalty at the Circuit of The Americas, Cindric responded with two consecutive top-10 finishes, proving his resilience and capability to bounce back.
Cindric’s escalating performance suggests that he might surpass Penske’s current champions by 2025. After his recent race, he credited his crew chief, Brian Wilson, for his top-10 comeback. “We showed great pace and fought back through some adversity,” Cindric stated. “Brian’s call helped us regain track position. We can certainly build off today.”
Meanwhile, the Penske team faced a contrasting situation with driver Ryan Blaney, who experienced a rollercoaster of emotions following the Las Vegas race. Despite an initially promising race, where he climbed from 36th place to sixth, Blaney’s fortunes took a dramatic turn as a 4-wide fight for position ended in a devastating crash. Blaney initially blamed another driver for the incident but later conceded responsibility after reviewing the incident.
Looking forward, the Penske team will be keen to leverage their momentum into securing a win and a place in the playoffs. With Cindric’s rising performance, it wouldn’t be a surprise if all three Penske cars lined up for the Championship race this season.
