Austin Cindric Q&A

from NASCAR Pole Position | August-September 2021

by A.E. Engine

Backstory Leading Every Lap

HARRISON BURTON

Q&A WITH AUSTIN CINDRIC

DEFENDING XFINITY SERIES CHAMP PREPARES FOR THE NEXT STEP

BY JOSEPH WOLKIN

Austin Cindric is a workhorse. He is grinding day-in and day-out to prove he is ready to compete full time at NASCAR’s highest level next year.

Cindric, 22, is also gunning for his second consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. The goal of winning another title is doable. His No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang is as fast as ever, continuing to show Cindric is capable of winning each week.

But the challenge of running for the Xfinity Series championship – a tough task already – is only harder when focusing on multiple divisions on some weekends. Cindric’s limited Cup Series schedule with Team Penske in the No. 33 car is helping him prepare for next season when he’ll drive the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing.

Thankfully, his fitness level continues to improve as he readies for the longer, more grueling Cup Series races.

As Cindric mentally prepares for the next stage of his career, he is also reflecting on how he’s made his way to this point. His father, Tim Cindric, is Team Penske’s president, but it is very clear the younger Cindric wasn’t handed these opportunities.

His hard work, determination, willingness to learn and impressive skills on the race track have combined to create a budding star, one who shows appreciation for those who have helped along the way.

HOW BUSY IS LIFE AS YOU SPLIT TIME BETWEEN THE XFINITY AND CUP SERIES?

The double-duty weekends are interesting, especially because almost all of them have been done with no practice. I’m learning a lot while trying to prepare for a lot. I don’t want to take anything away from either program. Obviously, we’re trying to win a championship on the Xfinity side and trying to prepare for next season on the Cup side. It’s definitely been an evolving process, knowing what’s going to work for me on both teams and figuring out how we can maximize each weekend. It’s been a fun challenge, but it’s more involved than I imagined.

HOW PHYSICALLY CHALLENGING IS IT TO RACE IN TWO SERIES?

I feel like I prepare quite a bit on the fitness side, so I’ve done the necessary things while knowing I’ll have longer races. I wanted to put on more muscle mass than I’ve had in the past and still be as light as I can possibly get. It’s fun to compare the two cars. The Xfinity car is quite hotter on a lot of tracks, especially the mile-and-a-halves, because you’re a lot more involved with braking in the corners and the handling challenges with the race car. Some days, you feel like you worked a lot harder on Saturday than you did on Sunday for a longer race.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET IN EVEN BETTER SHAPE AS YOU PREPARE FOR THE FULL NASCAR CUP SERIES SEASON NEXT YEAR?

As far as a 600-mile race, I try to give myself a perspective every time. Each stage in the Coke 600 is 100 laps and our longest stage is 110 laps, so a 110-lap run is one of four stages in a Cup race. You have to do this four times, and that was helpful for me when I did Atlanta. The long run is what you have to do every run.

HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR TIME BETWEEN LIFE OUTSIDE OF RACING AND DOING YOUR JOB?

I try to have fun while doing my job, and maybe that’s different from most. I don’t have anything else that’s more important than my racing. That’s what I commit myself to during the week and on the weekends. I put the rest aside, but I also have my personal life in order. I can’t say there’s much I do during the week that doesn’t involve racing.

SO WHAT DOES AUSTIN CINDRIC DO WITH HIS FREE TIME?

It comes as no surprise that it has to do with cars and racing. I have a project car that I’ve been working on for a couple of years. I have a go-kart at GoPro Motorplex and I go out there. I probably enjoy working on my kart as much as I enjoy driving it. I

play Xbox every night and hop on with a couple of my buddies just to decompress at the end of every day. Other than that, it’s working out, race prep and the grind never stops if you don’t let it.

WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO IN LIFE, NOT JUST IN RACING?

I’ve had a lot of significant individuals who have helped me in my career. I’ve leaned on a lot of people, whether it’s within our company, other drivers and my parents. I’ve been very fortunate to be surrounded by good people.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO SUCCEED ON AND OFF THE TRACK?

It’s in between going to the next step and trying to be successful. I’m a competitive person and I don’t like losing, whether it’s in a go-kart or on the biggest stage. The best thing about this sport is you can never be perfect. You can strive to be perfect and look for the perfect setup, but you’re never going to get it because there’s always somewhere you can improve.

IS THERE SOMEONE YOU LOOK UP TO WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU THUS FAR?

When I was young and going to IndyCar Series races, Helio Castroneves was my hero. Guys like Sam Hornish Jr. and Rick Mears and being around guys like them growing up was cool exposure for me. I got to know them on a personal level. Growing up around those guys had a big influence on me. I want to be my own person. If there’s anything I’ve learned in my career, it’s do what suits you best and embrace your strengths and weaknesses. You can learn from others and not be close-minded, but you need to embrace what makes you you.

WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN?

I can’t really pick and choose. I got to talk with Mario Andretti about a year ago, and he was very complimentary. I didn’t realize Mario Andretti was watching any of my races or Xfinity racing in general. He told me to just stand on the gas. Don’t worry about anything else. The man himself.

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT SCARES YOU ON THE TRACK?

Nothing really scares me, but fires aren’t cool. That happened to me during the Daytona 500. I was very hot. I wouldn’t say I go around the race track hoping I don’t catch on fire. But it’s probably the most nerve wracking thing I’ve had happen to me in a race car. You have to have situational awareness and understand where it’s coming from, why is it happening and is it even from your car. Things seem to really slow down for me in those moments so I can process it.