Austin Cindric has lived through the Last Great Colosseum’s chaos, but one race left more than just tire marks. Beneath the sparks and crowd noise was a moment that tested him like never before. It wasn’t just about losing, it was about pushing through pain and pressure. And now, he has opened up about what really happened inside the car that night.
In 2021, he and AJ Allmendinger crashed across the finish line in a wild overtime battle. Sparks flew as the latter won, leaving Cindric stunned in one of Bristol’s chaotic endings. The crowd’s reaction was just as volatile.
Boos rained down when Cindric first spoke, only to swing to cheers after he quipped, “That’s racing, that’s what people are here to see… I just got booed. I just got cheered. I don’t know what’s going on.” That dramatic finish was just the surface. A year earlier at the same track, Austin Cindric faced what he called the most painful and emotional moment of his racing career.
Cindric’s agonizing Bristol memory
In an interview with Jeff Gluck, the 26-year-old admitted that the most miserable he’s ever been in a race car came during the 2020 Bristol Xfinity event. “I was bending the steering wheel in my hands,” he admitted, “I’ve never been in tears because of physical pain and strain before but just to lose like that, it sucked hard.”
That night, Cindric had surged past Ross Chastain on a restart and looked set to snatch the win from Chase Briscoe. But only five laps into what should’ve been a 40-lap closing run, the power steering gave out. Cindric wrestled his car through the corners, but as his arms wore out and the laps ticked down, Briscoe seized the opening and pulled away to victory.
Despite his best efforts, he held on only until six laps remained, collapsing not just in performance but in spirit. Alone in the cockpit, powerless to hand off or ease the burden, he said the ultimate heartbreak came when Briscoe, unaware of Cindric’s anguish, approached in the media center and asked “Hey man, did you just get tight? What happened?” to which he could only mutter, “Sure, I got tight. Leave me alone.”
This week’s 12 Questions is with @AustinCindric, who talks about the life lessons that come with digging deep.https://t.co/Wdj1aghab6
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) August 19, 2025
That confrontation with misery forged something in Cindric’s mindset. He reflected, “I did learn a lot about myself in that Bristol race how badly do I want this?” It was a crucible, a moment when a driver not only contended with physical torment but confronted his own ambition and resilience.
That emotional breakthrough anchored a formidable trajectory: in 2020, he became Xfinity Series champion; by 2022, he’d ascended to Cup Series status, winning the Daytona 500 in his rookie season; today, he races the legendary No. 2 Ford for Team Penske.
Now in 2025, Cindric is proving that Bristol’s brutal lesson wasn’t in vain. In April, he scored a dramatic last-lap pass win at Talladega Superspeedway, electrifying the Cup field and locking up his playoff spot.
Analysts now point to his growth and consistency from playoff heroics to top-20 finishes as evidence that he’s “coming into his own behind the wheel of the No. 2,” and increasingly living up to the prestige of that car.
With one win already and steadfast performances across drafting tracks, Cindric is shaping up as the anchor Penske needs.
Penske’s playoff picture: can the trio carry momentum forward?
Team Penske walked away in Richmond this past week, with what looked like a picture-perfect statement of power. They swept the board, placing all three of its full-time Cup Series drivers in the top five, a rare feat that instantly sparked talks.
With Austin Cindric already locked into the playoffs, Joey Logano defying the Cinderella championship tag, and Ryan Blaney quietly sharpening his consistency, Penske at Richmond was about collective control across the board.
But here’s the real question: does this top-five trifecta actually make Team Penske the underdogs to fear in the playoffs? On paper, they’ve been overshadowed most of the year by Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, but Richmond showed they can not only compete but dominate when execution clicks across the garage.
If momentum is everything heading into the postseason, then Penske just shifted the balance.
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