"I feel like someone invisible": Austin Cindric reflects on the positive outcome after a ‘decent’ finish at the Darlington playoff race

Austin Cindric started his playoffs with a steady finish in the Cook Out Southern 500. The Team Penske driver finished in 12th place at Darlington Raceway, earning a 12-point cushion above the cutline in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

The race saw most of the playoff contenders suffer costly setbacks. However, Cindric's uneventful day proved to be valuable. Toyota dominated the day with six of the first seven finishes belonging to them, with only one Ford (Chris Buescher) finishing in the top ten.

Speaking after the race to TSJSports' Peter Statta, Cindric explained why being under the radar may be exactly what he needs right now.

"I feel like someone invisible, which is good for this round. Happy with the effort for the most part. I wouldn't say it was a stellar race, but kind of gave up some of our track position early. We had a tough stop and kind of got pinballed around Stage 2 and was able to kind of just soldier on, make car little better at Stage 3 and getting quite a few spots, kind of having to hit the reset button once we got back into the 20s. I thought we did a decent job tonight," said Cindric.

Austin Cindric's run at Darlington began from 10th on the grid. He got loose early, but managed to hold position and ended Stage 1 in eighth.

Joey Logano (22) and Austin Cindric (2) at Darlington Raceway. Source: Getty

The tone of the race shifted in Stage 2 when the car got tight. A long green-flag cycle added pressure, and a pit stop issue compounded matters. As the handling faded, so did his track position, slipping back to 18th at the end of the stage. That moment, combined with a brush of contact while racing Austin Dillon, left him scrambling to reset.

Cindric credited his Team Penske crew for dialing the car back in during the final run. The Ford gained stability, as he methodically worked back into the top 15 and kept the No. 2 out of trouble and brought it home 12th.

Austin Cindric leads Team Penske's quiet playoff start

Joey Logano (22) leads Ryan Blaney (12) and Austin Cindric (2) before the Daytona 500. Source: Imagn

Austin Cindric led the Team Penske trio on Sunday as Darlington was mixed big for his teammates. Ryan Blaney, who ran top 15 all day, spun on the frontstretch in Stage 2 and slipped back to finish 18th. However, he remains seventh in the playoff standings, 22 points above the cutoff line.

Joey Logano struggled all evening with grip. He finished 20th and dropped to 13th in the standings, three points below the cutline. Cindric, meanwhile, entered the opener ranked 10th in the standings, just one point above elimination. He now leaves ninth, ahead of Logano by a decent difference (+12).

That made Cindric the top finisher, among the Penske trio, an important note given the team’s reputation for peaking in the postseason. Penske has won the last three championships, with Logano and Blaney both delivering titles in clutch fashion. While regular-season form has been inconsistent, the organization often finds speed when it matters most.

Austin Cindric has shown flashes this year, including ranking among the leaders in laps led, but results haven’t followed. Gateway may present the chance to change that. He is the defending winner at World Wide Technology Raceway and hasn’t finished worse than 13th there in three starts. As the Round of 16 continues, he’ll enter the weekend not just as a points survivor, but as a driver who can realistically aim higher.