Austin Cindric was thought by most to be a simple first-round exit within the 2024 NASCAR Cup Sequence playoffs, however the 2022 Daytona 500 winner is proving his critics unsuitable by means of the primary two weeks of the postseason.
Tenth-place runs at each Atlanta and Watkins Glen, together with stage factors, have helped Cindric make his means as much as third on the playoff grid and 43 factors above the minimize line because the circuit heads to Bristol.
Cindric’s surprisingly good begin is a welcome signal for a No. 2 staff that has struggled for a lot of 2024.
Except for his win in St. Louis, Cindric solely had two different top-10 finishes earlier than the playoffs started — a fourth-place run at Atlanta in February, and a seventh-place end in his first Brickyard 400.
His well timed victory in St. Louis remained the deciding think about Cindric making the playoffs, however he and the No. 2 staff are proving that they are greater than postseason pushovers.
After Cindric’s win in St. Louis on June 2, Crew Penske government Walter Czarnecki spoke about Cindric’s efficiency within the Cup Sequence, and why the staff hasn’t given up on him regardless of an inconsistent begin to his profession.
“He has not misplaced his want,” Czarnecki stated on that June afternoon when Cindric locked himself into the playoffs. “We have by no means misplaced religion in Austin Cindric, I can promise you that.”
