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Martinsville Speedway witnessed yet another disappointing performance from Austin Cindric, leaving fans impatient with his string of lackluster performances and adding to the 25-year-old Team Penske driver's woes.
Austin Cindric, a former Xfinity Series champion, was promoted to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time in 2022 after two impressive seasons. He won the Daytona 500 race in his first outing of the season, setting the stage for an exciting career ahead.
However, Austin Cindric has been a shadow of his former self since the win at Daytona International Speedway over two years ago. Failing to record a single victory since, Cindric could only notch up four top-10 finishes in 2023, the same year where his teammate Ryan Blaney clinched his first Cup Series championship.
Cindric's struggles piloting the No. 2 Ford Mustang for a NASCAR heavyweight have led to fans calling the driver out for his consistently underwhelming results. Following the recent Food City 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR enthusiasts took to social media platforms to express their displeasure with the Team Penske driver. One user commented:
"Cindric is the Austin Dillon of the Ford camp."
A second user added:
"I could name 32 xfinity and truck drivers that would finish better than cindric"
Meanwhile, a third fan called for Cindric's sacking:
"Somebody at Penske needs to fire Cindric already."
Below are some more fan-reactions to Austin Cindric's poor performances in recent races:
"Cindric must be Replaced!!! The 2 car used to be a respected contender," wrote a user.
"its time for someone new in 2 and I feel the same for 21," suggested a fifth user.
"Theres an imposter," sarcastically pointed out another fan.
Austin Cindric reflects on his Martinsville finish
Despite starting 14th in the 400-lap race, Cindric struggled with his car's performance issues throughout the afternoon. Following a late incident in overtime, his hopes for a top-15 finish were trashed, as the 25-year-old could only cross the checkered flag at 23rd.
Reflecting on his disappointing Martinsville result, Austin Cindric told the media after the race (via Speedway Digest):
"We had solid speed in the Menards/Libman Ford Mustang, but the strategy didn't quite pan out and I lost us a couple spots with the choose. It's just so hard to make up track position. We have some areas to improve on and we'll regroup this week and get ready for Texas."
Barring a fourth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Austin Cindric has failed to crack the top-15 finish in eight races. With 147 points, the 25-year-old driver is placed 21st in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.
