Drivers/Teams

Biography

Austin Cindric, the 2022 DAYTONA 500 champion, enters his fourth NASCAR Cup Series season in 2025, piloting Team Penske’s flagship No. 2 Discount Tire/Menards/Freightliner/Autotrader/Snap-on Ford Mustang. Following a strong 2024 campaign that featured a return to Victory Lane and a playoff appearance, Cindric aims to carry his momentum forward as one of NASCAR’s most versatile young talents.

Cindric reunited with crew chief Brian Wilson for their first full NASCAR Cup Series season together in 2024, building on a partnership that had previously delivered 13 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and the 2020 championship. The duo achieved notable success last year, highlighted by a victory at World Wide Technology Raceway and a solid playoff run, culminating in Cindric’s best career finish of 11th in the series championship standings.

Cindric’s sophomore season in 2023 followed a whirlwind rookie campaign that included a triumph in the DAYTONA 500, Rookie of the Year honors, and a playoff berth. Although his bid to repeat his DAYTONA 500 fortune in 2023 was cut short by a late-race incident, he demonstrated strong qualifying speed early in the season, earning six top-10 starting positions in the first eight races. At NASCAR’s inaugural Chicago Street Course race, he showcased his road-racing prowess with a sixth-place finish.

With 10 races remaining in the 2023 season, Cindric and Wood Brothers Racing driver Harrison Burton swapped crew chiefs to optimize performance for both teams. This change reunited Cindric with Brian Wilson, and the duo produced two top-10 finishes and one top-five result for a strong close to the season.

Cindric’s rookie campaign in 2022 was nothing short of historic. Winning the “Great American Race” in just his eighth Cup Series start, he became the first rookie to win NASCAR’s most prestigious race and secured the first DAYTONA 500 victory for the iconic No. 2 car. That season, he also claimed his first Cup Series pole, led the point standings for multiple races, and demonstrated his road-course skill with four top-10 finishes on road courses. Cindric advanced to the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs and finished 12th in the championship standings with five top-five and nine top-10 finishes.

Before stepping up to the Cup Series, Cindric built an impressive Xfinity Series resume during his four-year tenure in NASCAR’s mid-tier series. Among his accomplishments were the 2020 drivers’ championship and the 2021 owners’ title with Team Penske. In 2020, Cindric and the No. 22 Ford Mustang team overcame the challenges of competing during a global pandemic to produce an incredible championship run. Becoming just the second driver in Xfinity Series history to win five out of six consecutive races, he swept the doubleheader weekend at Kentucky Speedway, triumphed at Texas Motor Speedway, earned Team Penske’s 200th NASCAR win at Road America, and claimed the inaugural road course race at Daytona. Cindric led 947 laps and captured 11 Stage victories en route to the regular season title, then raced his way into the Championship 4 at Phoenix. In his 100th career Xfinity Series start, he dominated the finale by leading 72 laps and pulling away during a thrilling overtime restart to claim his first championship in NASCAR.

In 2021, Cindric defended his Xfinity Series crown with five wins, 22 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes – along with a series-high 13 Stage wins -  while battling for the drivers’ championship until the final lap. He ultimately secured the 2021 owners’ championship for Team Penske.

Alongside his stock car achievements, Cindric has showcased his versatility by competing in other racing disciplines. He has raced in select IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship events, including the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and earned two wins in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. His diverse experience also includes starts in the Pirelli World Challenge and Global Rallycross.

Now 26 years old, Cindric resides in Mooresville, North Carolina, as he continues to make his mark at the highest levels of motorsports.

Cindric Key Accomplishments:

• Won the 2024 Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway for the second Cup Series win of his career and finished a career-best 11th in the final standings
• Finished sixth in the inaugural NASCAR Chicago Street Race in 2023 Won the 2022 DAYTONA 500 to become the first Cup Series rookie to take the checkered flag in the “Great American Race”
• Earned his first Cup Series pole at Auto Club Speedway in 2022
• 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 champion
• Earned Team Penske’s fifth Xfinity Series owners’ championship and finished second in the drivers’ standings in 2021
• Produced 13 career Xfinity Series victories from 2017-2021
• Earned a spot in the Xfinity Series Playoffs in each of his last four seasons in series 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 Xfinity Series victory at Daytona International Speedway to open the 2021 season
• Earned a thrilling overtime victory at Phoenix to claim the 2020 Xfinity Series championship
• Became just the second driver in Xfinity Series 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