Longevity. That’s what Brian Wilson epitomizes, as he’s currently in the middle of his 21st season with Team Penske. He was reunited with Austin Cindric in 2023 when Wilson took over as crew chief for the No. 2 Ford Mustang team. The Wilson-Cindric duo has been a winning combination in the past, as the pair went on to win the Xfinity Series title in 2020. If that wasn’t all, they secured the owner’s title the following year and recorded 13 wins in the process.

Who is Austin Cindric’s crew chief Brian Wilson?

Brian Wilson has all the qualities that a good crew chief needs. Whether it’s devising race strategy or having a commanding leadership presence. He has previously served as crew chief for the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford Mustang, which was driven by Harrison Burton, before moving to the NASCAR Cup Series and reuniting with Austin Cindric.

His contributions to Team Penske, over his two-decade-long career, have made Wilson an invaluable asset to the team. If Cindric’s performances, particularly in the Xfinity Series, are anything to go by, it indicates that Brian Wilson can work closely with drivers and maximize their performances on the racetrack.

Brian Wilson’s early life and how he forayed into crew chief

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Brian Wilson’s passion for racing comes from his family. He is a second-generation race engineer, having pursued his degree at the North Carolina State University. The technical know-how as a qualified engineer helped Wilson to understand the nuances of racing, allowing him to start his career with Team Penske as a shock specialist. Through hard work and dedication, he was promoted to race engineer, and finally, as a crew chief, where he was able to apply his strategic knowledge to help his drivers win races.

Speaking about his career progression, Brian Wilson said, “When I first started I was like, I just hope that I can make a career in racing. To be able to climb the ranks and to go from a shock specialist to an engineer to a crew chief now, it has been really amazing for me.”

Wilson on his two-decade stint with Team Penske

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Brian Wilson started his career in the motorsports industry from the very grassroots. He helped David Stremme, who was behind the wheel of the No. 12 car, earn 11 top-20 finishes in 2009. Wilson then went on to work part-time at Frank Kimmel’s championship-winning ARCA team, while he was studying at North Carolina State University. His degree in mechanical engineering helped Wilson become a shock specialist, which eventually earned him a move to Team Penske in 2004.

His role on Roger Penske’s team was that of a shock specialist as well, and he began his career in the team by working on the No. 77 car, before joining the No. 2 team. He was then promoted to race engineer before the start of the 2007 season, during which time he helped Team Penske reach new heights. Wilson guided Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 team to the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series title and helped the future RFK Racing co-owner win the 2010 Xfinity Series crown as well.

His bond with Cindric was cemented in the 2018 Xfinity Series season, where he helped the Ohio native secure six top-five finishes and nine top-10 results in 16 appearances. If that wasn’t all, Wilson also helped Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano enter Victory Lane, leading the team to a total of six triumphs that season. During the 2019 season, the Wilson-Cindric duo showed first glimpses of being a winning combination by securing two wins, four poles, 14 top-five, and 24 top-10 finishes in 33 appearances. That built the foundation for a historic 2020 season.

The iconic 2020 season featured Brian Wilson and Austin Cindric at their very best. The No. 22 team secured six wins all season, along with a staggering 19 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes in the Xfinity Series. Naturally, it meant that the duo finished the season with the Championship trophy, the first of Brian Wilson’s career as crew chief.

The 2021 season was not much different, as Wilson and Cindric picked up where they left off by winning the opening race of the season at Daytona International Speedway. The No. 22 team managed to secure a total of five victories that season, along with 22 top-five, 26 top-10 finishes, and a record 13 stage wins. However, that wasn’t enough to defend their championship, and the pair finished runner-up to Daniel Hemric.

Brian Wilson’s stint as Harrison Burton’s crew chief in Wood Brothers Racing

Before pairing with Austin Cindric in the NASCAR Cup Series, Brian Wilson served as crew chief for Harrison Burton’s No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford Mustang. He helped guide the North Carolina native to a third-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the result played a significant role in Burton finishing the season at a 27th place in the driver standings, the highest in his Cup Series career so far.

Wilson will consider his time as crew chief at Wood Brothers Racing to be a learning experience. Not only was he responsible for a rookie driver, but it was his first season as crew chief for a Cup Series team. Under his guidance, Harrison Burton showed significant improvement as a racing driver, proving that Brian Wilson could adapt his strategies to suit different driving styles.

Wilson being paired with Austin Cindric and victory in the 2024 Cup Series

The reunion between Brian Wilson and Austin Cindric for the last 10 races of the 2023 season was a significant moment in both their careers. The driver-crew chief combination had experienced immense success in the Xfinity Series, but there were question marks if they could replicate that performance at NASCAR’s highest level. The pair didn’t disappoint, as after their partnership was restored, Cindric saw a notable upturn in his performances. He finished 5th at Talladega Superspeedway, which was the best result of his 2023 season, and a 9th place result at Martinsville Superspeedway.

In the 2024 season, Austin Cindric has secured two top-five and three top-ten results so far. However, the highlight of his season was a race win at the World Wide Technology Raceway, which secured his playoff spot. It was Cindric’s second win in his Cup Series career and Brian Wilson’s 50th visit to victory lane.

Speaking about the landmark victory, Brian Wilson said, “It’s a big number, I’m an engineer so I track these things and I have been paying attention to it, knowing where I’m at. It’s amazing, 50 times I have stood in victory lane with my teammates. It’s pretty amazing, it’s the one that I’ve been wanting to get for a while but, yeah, its a lot of great teams and a lot of great drivers.” If the Cindric-Wilson combination manages to make a deep playoff run in the 2024 season, they will silence the critics and prove that certain driver-crew chief partnerships can withstand the test of time and emerge victorious.