Austin Cindric, a NASCAR Cup Series driver, is heading into his third Playoff appearance after securing his spot with a win at Talladega Superspeedway in April. Despite skepticism from some, including former champion Denny Hamlin, Cindric remains optimistic about his chances in the fiercely competitive NASCAR Playoffs this season.
Cindric Responds to Doubts About His Playoff Prospects
During the NASCAR Playoff Media Day, Austin Cindric addressed recent remarks suggesting he might be eliminated early in the Playoffs.
“This is the first I’ve heard that,”
Cindric responded, adding with a smile,
“I guess we’ll have to watch, won’t we?”
He emphasized that success will depend heavily on execution in a field that he believes is incredibly competitive. Reflecting on his experience, Cindric acknowledged the familiarity he has with the Playoff format, which has been a constant in his national series career except for one season. He said,
“There’s only one year (2023) I’ve been a driver in a national series and haven’t made the Playoffs. So, it feels normal to be here, in the format and what it requires of you. Yes, it’s in the Cup Series, it’s super competitive and there are different challenges.”
Challenges Await at Key Playoff Tracks
The remaining 10 races in the Playoff schedule include a diverse mix of superspeedways, speedways, short tracks, and a single road course, culminating at Phoenix Raceway. Cindric noted that each venue presents its own hurdles, particularly highlighting the unpredictability of certain tracks. He pointed out that some tracks, such as Bristol, can be demanding mechanically.
“I think there are definitely some tracks that are challenging from a mechanical standpoint,”
he said.
“At Bristol, it’s rare we don’t see a car have some sort of a tire failure or mechanical failure with that obviously being the cutoff for the first round.”
When asked about his biggest uncertainty, Cindric identified New Hampshire as a track he has yet to fully master.
“For me, I would say New Hampshire is the biggest question mark of tracks. It’s one of those places I haven’t gone to and said, ‘Yep, I totally figured out that place out.’ It’s a weird place.”
Despite that, he expressed overall confidence with the schedule, including upcoming races at WWTR and Bristol following the Round of 16 race at Darlington.
He also weighed in on St. Louis, a track often viewed as a good opportunity for solid finishes.
“I think St. Louis, most probably look at that as their best opportunity for a base hit. It’s not a very normal race track, but you can kind of look at it think, okay there’s Darlington and Bristol, this track isn’t as crazy.”
He praised his team’s preparation by saying,
“I think our group has our process really well dialed in, especially this year.”
Striving for a Strong Start and Long-term Success
With Team Penske, Cindric believes they are far from underdogs this postseason, given their experience and prior success in the format. Rather than seeking attention early on, he shared a strategic mindset for the opening rounds.
“I would love to be invisible for the first two rounds, because then I’ll make it the Round of 8,”
he said with a grin.
“It’s what we’ve been waiting the whole year for, I’m excited to be at this point and go make it happen.”
He noted that the team’s consistent work over recent months has prepared them well for these crucial moments.
“Our team has done a great job the past few months to be prepared for these opportunities. Now is the fun part, where actually get to go do the job and not just talking about it. It feels like a lifetime ago we were in Daytona for the 500, or even at Bowman Gray.”
Looking ahead to the final segment of the season, Cindric expressed a strong desire to leave a positive mark before the offseason begins.
“There’s 10 weeks left and I want to make these count. I want to have some positives for the off-season.”
