Sometimes, it is easy to forget that NASCAR drivers have a life outside of their sport. Once they step out of the car, they have a completely different life away from the track. One such person is Team Penske driver Austin Cindric. In 2022, Cindric became the second rookie driver to ever win the iconic Daytona 500. However, life after that continued on as normal for him, though an unusual situation did pop up.

Apparently, this was something that his rival Denny Hamlin found fascinating.

During the pre-race press conference, Cindric casually dropped a bombshell, “Haven’t changed in the slightest, even after winning the 500. I had to take my trash out on Monday, and I got jury summons two weeks later.”

“Anyway, different story, different time. I got a deferral and I told them that they could send me one from, these are the weeks that I have off. I had Roger’s attorney send a letter and everything, just to make sure. This is the busiest week of my life, just won the Daytona 500. So they followed up and sent me one in December,” he continued, adding, “Yes I had to serve on the jury for a week and a half in December for a criminal on a murder trial.”

Replying to a query about the verdict, he said, “Very guilty. Good life experience, horrible timing.”

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How did Denny Hamlin and NASCAR fans react to the startling news?

Obviously, nobody expected a NASCAR driver of all people to be a juror, much less in a murder trial. Apparently, when Hamlin heard about Cindric’s experience, he expressed a desire to serve on a jury. This is because the Joe Gibbs Racing star is quite fond of true crime stories, and being a juror could bring him closer to one in real life.

This year, Cindric is back at the Daytona International Speedway, a year after clinching his maiden win. For the upcoming race, the #2 driver is starting in 6th place, behind Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Aric Almirola, and Christopher Bell. Hopefully, there won’t be another jury summons waiting for Cindric after this year’s Daytona 500.

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