Austin Cindric experienced a harsh setback during the Phoenix race when he crashed his No. 2 Menards/Quaker State Ford Mustang Dark Horse. The incident occurred amid chaotic restarts when numerous cars were moving unpredictably across the track. Cindric described crashing head-on into a wall as a new and frustrating experience for him, leaving the team without the results they were working hard to achieve early in the season.
Chaos on the Track Contributed to the Crash
According to Cindric, the key issue on the track was a large number of cars moving in the wrong direction during critical moments, particularly restarts. He emphasized that the Quaker State/Menards Ford Mustang was performing well, having earned points in both stages before the crash. Despite the disappointment, Cindric acknowledged the efforts made throughout the race and expressed confidence in his team’s ability, noting this was not the outcome they hoped for but remained optimistic about the long season ahead.
Team Effort and Future Outlook
Though the crash was a significant blow, Cindric praised his team’s performance during the first four races, highlighting that they had consistently brought competitive cars to the track. He conveyed frustration at the misfortune but maintained determination to continue pushing forward. This reflection underscores both the immediate impact of the Phoenix accident and the resilience needed as the racing season progresses.
“Obviously, it’s a frustrating start with so many fast race cars and to have another one today with our Quaker State/Menards Ford Mustang. The restarts get crazy here and I’m not really sure what happened other than just cars jumping right across the racetrack. I’m not sure I’ve ever jumped head-on into a wall, but that changed today. It’s just a shame. I’m not discouraged. This 2 team has shown me a lot in the first four races, but it’s just a shame we don’t have the results for them.” – Austin Cindric, Driver
“A whole lot of cars going right when the cars need to be going left. It’s just a real shame. We had a really fast Quaker State/Menards Ford Mustang. We got points in both stages and were in desperate need of a race finish without a crash and we did not get that today. It’s a shame because I felt like we did all the right things throughout the afternoon, so that’s racing. I’m not discouraged by any means. It’s a long season. My team has brought me four fast race cars to start the year.” – Austin Cindric, Driver
