Austin Cindric Bio
Austin Louis Cindric (born September 2, 1998) is an American professional auto racing driver who competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. He drives the No. 2 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Team Penske. In addition to his Cup duties, Cindric runs a part-time schedule in the Supercars Championship, competing in the No. 5 Ford Mustang S650 for Tickford Racing. A versatile driver, he has built his career across stock cars, sports cars, and open-wheel racing, becoming one of the most recognizable young talents in American motorsports.
Cindric first gained national attention by winning the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship and cemented his place among NASCAR’s elite by capturing the 2022 Daytona 500 in only his eighth Cup Series start. In 2022, he was also named the NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year, an award that highlighted his rapid rise through the sport’s ranks.
Early Life and Background
Austin Louis Cindric was born on September 2, 1998, in Columbus, Ohio. He is the son of Tim Cindric, a long-time Team Penske president, and Megan Cindric. Through his father, Cindric grew up surrounded by the operations of one of the most successful teams in American auto racing, giving him a unique understanding of the sport from an early age. He is also the grandson of Jim Trueman, the former IndyCar team owner and founder of the Red Roof Inn hotel chain, which further tied the family to a deep racing heritage.
Cindric began his driving career in semi-professional legends car and Bandolero racing in North Carolina, where he developed his car control and race craft on small ovals. To broaden his skills, he attended the Skip Barber Racing School, which introduced him to road racing techniques and helped prepare him for the diverse motorsports disciplines he would later pursue. Cindric later graduated from Cannon School in Concord, North Carolina, completing his high school education on May 18, 2017, just hours before competing in a Truck Series race at the nearby Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Path to NASCAR
Before reaching NASCAR’s national series, Cindric competed in a wide range of disciplines, including sports cars, the Road to Indy ladder, and the Global RallyCross Championship. In 2013 and 2014, he raced in the U.S. F2000 National Championship, first driving for Andretti Autosport and then for Pabst Racing Services, gaining valuable open-wheel experience. During the same period, he also competed in the Historic Sportscar Racing series, winning a race in a Porsche 944, and made his IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge debut in 2014 at Road Atlanta.
In 2014, Cindric entered the Global RallyCross Championship Lites class, where he earned a bronze medal at the X Games Austin 2014. The following year, at just seventeen years old, he became the youngest driver to compete in the Bathurst 12 Hour, driving a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG for Erebus Motorsport. He also raced full-time in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge for Multimatic Motorsports, winning at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and becoming the youngest winner in series history. Cindric transitioned to stock cars in July 2015, making his ARCA Racing Series debut at Iowa Speedway, and entered the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series later that year, driving the No. 29 Ford F-150 for Brad Keselowski Racing as a substitute for Austin Theriault at Martinsville.
Austin Cindric Career
Early Career (2015-2017)
Cindric’s first full season of stock car competition came in 2016, when he split time between the K&N Pro Series East, the ARCA Racing Series, and a partial Truck Series schedule. Driving the No. 2 F-150 for Brad Keselowski Racing, he earned his first ARCA victory at Kentucky Speedway and picked up two K&N East wins at Virginia International Raceway and Watkins Glen International. Brad Keselowski Racing announced in November 2016 that Cindric would run the full Truck Series schedule in 2017.
During the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, Cindric captured the pole for the road course race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and went on to win the event after a dramatic last-lap battle, locking in a playoff berth in BKR’s final season. He finished the year third in the Truck Series standings, establishing himself as a top developmental talent. Cindric also made his Xfinity Series debut in August 2017 with Team Penske at Road America, signaling his growing role within the organization.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2018-2021)
In 2018, Cindric ran the full Xfinity Series schedule, splitting time between the No. 12 and No. 22 Fords for Team Penske and the No. 60 Ford of Roush Fenway Racing. He earned his first career Xfinity pole at Iowa Speedway and gained valuable experience across a variety of tracks. In November 2018, Team Penske confirmed that Cindric would take over the No. 22 Ford Mustang full-time in 2019, with MoneyLion coming on board as the primary sponsor for eighteen races.
Cindric broke through in 2019 with his first two Xfinity Series victories, both coming on road courses at Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio. He finished the season sixth in points. The following year, he elevated his performance further by winning five races, including a sweep of both Xfinity races at Kentucky Speedway, where he became the first driver to win national series races at the same track on consecutive days since Richard Petty in 1971. Cindric captured the regular-season championship, won at Phoenix Raceway in the championship round, and was crowned the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion, leading all drivers in top fives and top tens.
Returning to the No. 22 Ford Mustang in 2021, Cindric added victories at Daytona, Phoenix, Dover, Pocono, and the Indianapolis Road Course. He led much of the regular season but lost the championship in the final lap at Phoenix to Daniel Hemric. Across his four full Xfinity seasons, Cindric established himself as one of the most successful young drivers in series history, building the foundation for his move to the Cup Series.
Cup Series and Team Penske Era (2021-Present)
Team Penske announced in October 2020 that Cindric would move to the Cup Series in 2022 to drive the No. 21 for Wood Brothers Racing, replacing Matt DiBenedetto. After a planned part-time Cup schedule in 2021 with Penske’s No. 33 entry, the team changed course in July 2021, announcing that Cindric would instead drive the flagship No. 2 Ford in 2022 following Brad Keselowski’s departure to Roush Fenway Racing. Cindric made his Cup debut in the 2021 Daytona 500, finishing fifteenth after a last-lap crash, and posted his first Cup top ten later that season at Indianapolis.
Cindric announced himself as a Cup star on February 20, 2022, when he won the Daytona 500 in only his eighth career Cup start. At 23 years old, he became the second-youngest driver in NASCAR history to win the Great American Race and the ninth driver to win his first Cup race in the Daytona 500. He led the Cup points for two consecutive weeks early in the season, becoming only the second rookie, after Jimmie Johnson, to achieve that feat. Crew chief Jeremy Bullins was suspended for four races in July 2022 following a tire loss at New Hampshire. Cindric was eliminated in the playoff Round of 12 and finished the year twelfth in the standings, earning NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors.
Driving Style and Strengths
Cindric is widely regarded as a versatile driver with strong road course skills, refined during his early career in sports cars and open-wheel racing. His ability to manage tires and execute late-race passes was on full display in his breakthrough Xfinity win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and his 2020 sweep at Kentucky Speedway. Working alongside crew chief Jeremy Bullins at Team Penske, Cindric has continued to develop his stock car instincts while leaning on his road racing background to compete on a wide range of track types.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among Cindric’s signature performances are his 2020 sweep at Kentucky Speedway, his championship-clinching win at Phoenix in 2020, and his 2022 Daytona 500 victory. He also scored a dramatic 2024 Cup win at Gateway, breaking an 85-race winless streak when Christopher Bell’s engine failed and Ryan Blaney ran out of fuel on the final run to the checkered flag.
Austin Cindric Career Wins
Austin Cindric has compiled victories across multiple NASCAR national series, highlighted by the 2020 Xfinity Series Championship and the 2022 Daytona 500. His win list reflects steady progression from the Truck Series to the top level of the sport.
NASCAR Cup Series Highlights
Cindric has won twice in the NASCAR Cup Series. His first victory came in the 2022 Daytona 500, a race that immediately established him as a top-tier talent. He added a second Cup win in 2024 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, breaking a long winless drought in dramatic fashion.
Other Wins and Performances
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Cindric amassed multiple wins between 2019 and 2021, including the 2020 series championship. In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, he won the 2017 road course race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. He also earned victories in the K&N Pro Series East, the ARCA Racing Series, and the IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge during his development years.
Austin Cindric Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Cindric comes from one of the most prominent families in American motorsports. His father, Tim Cindric, served as the president of Team Penske and has been a central figure in the team’s success across IndyCar and NASCAR. His paternal grandfather, Jim Trueman, was a former IndyCar team owner and the founder of the Red Roof Inn hotel chain, giving the family deep roots in both racing and business. His mother, Megan Cindric, has also been a steady presence throughout his career.
Personal Life
Cindric grew up in a racing-focused household and has carried that legacy into his professional career. After finishing high school at Cannon School in Concord, North Carolina, he settled near the heart of NASCAR country, where he continues to live while competing full-time in the Cup Series.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season opened with Cindric finishing eighth in the Daytona 500, a strong start that gave the No. 2 team early momentum. Following the race at Circuit of the Americas, NASCAR docked him 50 driver points and fined him US$50,000 for an incident involving Ty Dillon, putting his playoff push in immediate jeopardy. Despite the setback, the Team Penske camp remained focused on rebuilding consistency throughout the regular season.
Cindric’s fortunes turned at Talladega Superspeedway, where he scored his first victory of 2025 by beating Ryan Preece to the line by 0.022 seconds. The dramatic win marked a return to victory lane and provided a major boost to his playoff hopes. The result was particularly meaningful for a driver looking to recapture the speed that had carried him to a Daytona 500 triumph in 2022. As the season continues, Cindric and crew chief Jeremy Bullins are focused on stacking top finishes and avoiding the kind of inconsistency that derailed his 2023 campaign.