Drivers/Teams

Biography

In 2023, Austin Cindric embarks on his sophomore season in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) following a breakout 2022 season behind the wheel of the No. 2 Ford Mustang for Team Penske. The Mooresville, North Carolina, native will look to build on his successful first season of Cup Series competition that included a history-making victory in the Daytona 500, winning his first NCS pole, an impressive playoff run and series Rookie of the Year honors.

Cindric’s triumph in the “Great American Race” came in just his eighth start in NASCAR’s premier series and, coincidentally, on team owner Roger Penske’s birthday. Cindric etched his name in history as the first rookie driver to win NASCAR’s most prestigious event. It also marked the first-ever Daytona 500 victory for the iconic No. 2 car.

Riding the wave from Team Penske’s third Daytona 500 win, Cindric captured his first career NCS pole the following weekend at Auto Club Speedway and he became the first series rookie to lead the point standings for more than one race. The former NASCAR Xfinity Series champion also flexed his road racing muscle as he recorded four top-10 finishes across the five NCS regular season road course events.

Cindric earned an automatic bid to the Cup Series Playoffs with the Daytona 500 victory and he was the only rookie racer to claim a spot in NASCAR’s postseason. Posting solid finishes, Cindric advanced to the Round of 12 and ultimately finished 12^th in the championship standings. He closed the season with five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes while securing top series rookie honors.

Cindric began to establish himself as one of NASCAR’s brightest rising stars during his four-year run (2018-2021) in the Xfinity Series, that included the 2020 drivers’ championship and the 2021 owners’ title.

In his first full NXS season in 2018, Cindric proved he could adapt to changing environments as he raced for two different organizations and three different teams while he produced solid results across the board in 2018. He made nine starts for Roush-Fenway Racing, drove the No. 12 Ford Mustang for Team Penske for eight races and raced the No. 22 Team Penske Ford in 16 events as he closed the season with a memorable run in his first NASCAR Playoff experience.

In 2019, Cindric performed with consistency over the course of the 33-race NXS season. He won back-to-back races in the middle of the season, capturing his first career NXS victory with a triumph on the Watkins Glen International road course. The following weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Cindric produced a dominant performance for his second consecutive victory, as he won from the pole and led 46 of 75 laps on the historic road course. In his second full NXS season, and first with Team Penske, Cindric advanced to the Round of 8 in the 2019 NXS Playoffs before finishing sixth in the final series standings.

The 2020 NXS season featured an incredible championship performance by Cindric and the No. 22 Ford team, as they overcame the challenges of competing during a global pandemic. Becoming just the second driver in NXS history to win five out of six consecutive races, Cindric swept the doubleheader weekend at Kentucky Speedway, produced a victory at Texas Motor Speedway and earned back-to-back wins at Road America and the inaugural road course race at Daytona. The victory at Road America also marked Team Penske’s 200th NASCAR win.

As he led 947 laps and captured 11 stage victories in the No. 22 Ford, Cindric became the first Team Penske driver to claim the regular season championship under the series’ updated points system. With steady performances throughout the NXS Playoffs, Cindric raced his way into the Championship 4 title race at Phoenix Raceway. In his 100th career NXS start, Cindric dominated the championship battle as he led 72 laps and pulled away from the competition during a thrilling overtime race restart to earn his eighth career series victory and his first NASCAR championship.

In 2021, Cindric and the No. 22 team provided a strong defense of their NXS title, beginning the season in Victory Lane in the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway. The victory marked Team Penske’s first NXS win at the 2.5-mile track and the first for Cindric in seven starts at Daytona. Cindric and the No. 22 team captured four more race wins, 22 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes, led 1,150 laps and produced a series-high 13 stage wins as they won the owners’ championship while battling for the drivers’ title down to the final lap of the season.

In addition to his impressive stock car racing resume, Cindric has consistently demonstrated the diversity of his driving skill. He has competed in select IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races, including the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, and he’s produced two wins in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. Cindric has also raced in the Pirelli World Challenge, Global Rallycross and the Australia Supercars Championship over the course of his young career.

The 24-year-old Cindric currently resides in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Cindric Key Accomplishments:

• Won the 2022 Daytona 500 to become the first Cup Series rookie to take the checkered flag in the “Great American Race”
• Named 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year
• Finished 12th in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings in his rookie season
• Became one of only five drivers to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in their rookie season
• Crowned 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Champion
• Earned Team Penske’s fifth NXS owners’ championship and finished second in the drivers’ standings in 2021
• Produced 13 career NXS victories from 2017-2021
• Earned a spot in the NXS Playoffs in each of his last four seasons in NXS competition
• Scored a memorable 2021 win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, winning the 18th Annual Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard
• Produced Team Penske’s first NXS victory at Daytona International Speedway to open the 2021 season
• Earned a thrilling overtime victory at Phoenix to claim the 2020 NXS championship
• Became just the second driver in NXS history to win five of six consecutive races with an impressive run in 2020
• Won four races in the 2015 Global Rallycross Lites division and finished second in the championship standings
• Earned a bronze medal in the 2014 X-Games in Rallycross competition