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Team Penske rookie driver Austin Cindric is the new winner in town after securing the 2022 Daytona 500 trophy. His win was a nice way to celebrate his boss and owner of Penske Racing, Roger Penske’s 85th birthday who had given him clear instructions not to wreck.
The young driver made history at Daytona International Speedway after clinching his first career Cup Series win in the Daytona 500, one of the biggest events in NASCAR’s history. In a video tweeted by Bob Pockrass, the driver can be seen appreciating the team's effort. A thrilled Cindric said:
“I’m just really proud of the effort, proud of the teamwork there, proud of the teamwork before, throughout the race so I’ve got zero complaints and zero regrets.”
Winning the Daytona 500 for Team Penske earned the 23-year-old a position as a full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Prior to Sunday's win, Austin Cindric was the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion. He, however, failed to defend it in the 2021 season.
Winning the Daytona 500, Austin Cindric felt like he had made up for losing the championship in the Xfinity Series. Last season, he managed to secure a second-place finish in the drivers’ title standings and Xfinity Series Owner’s Championship.
In this year’s Daytona 500, Cindric collaborated well with his teammate Ryan Blaney, the driver of the Ford Mustang #12. Driving a Ford Mustang # 02 for Team Penske, the rookie managed to hold Bubba Wallace Jr. and drove all the way to the checkered flag.
Quick highlights of Austin Cindric's Career
Austin Cindric is the son of Tim Cindric, Team Penske’s president. His NASCAR journey started in 2015 racing in the NASACAR Camping World Truck Series. His first win in the Truck series came in 2017.
That same year, Cindric got an opportunity to join NASCAR Xfinity Series, a chance that he seized very well. In the Xfinity Series, he made his debut at Road America driving the Ford Mustang #22 for Team Penske. At the end of the season, he had 16 top-ten finishes, eight top-5 finishes and one pole position.
In his third season in 2020, he collected the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship. On top of his win, he became the second driver ever in Xfinity history to win 5 out of 6 races. The talented rising driver began his 2021 season with a high notch, winning the season opener race at Daytona International Speedway.
The win was a huge achievement for the team since it was their first Xfinity win at Daytona Speedway. Though Austin Cindric failed to defend the championship, he pushed hard and earned second place in the drivers’ title standings while helping his team secure the Xfinity Series Owner’s Championship.
After four years in the Xfinity Series, he took a step closer to facing the Cup Series in the 2022 season. As he headed to the new league, he took over Brad Keselowski’s ride, the Ford Mustang #2, after the latter parted ways with Team Penske.
On February 20, Austin Cindric made his official season debut at Daytona International Speedway in the Great American Race. The race is one of the biggest races in the sport, and surprisingly, he turned out to be the winner of the event. The Daytona 500 win was his first Cup Series victory.
