Kevin Harvick Makes an Example Out of Austin Cindric as Rookies in NASCAR Fail at the Basics

Is winning races all about who has the fastest car? Or is it about doing all the little things right, that compound into big results? That’s exactly what happened with Austin Cindric when he ended his 85-race unbeaten streak with what he would admit was a third-place car. It was a race Cindric probably had no right to win, with Christopher Bell leading 80 laps, only to suffer an engine issue with 17 laps to go while Ryan Blaney bizarrely ran out of fuel.

What worked for the 25-year-old was being in the right place and time to capitalize on the opportunity. ‘Basics’ that NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick believes several rookies are failing this season.

Austin Cindric’s dry spell has finally ended

Entering the race 20th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, Austin Cindric has now vaulted himself into the playoffs. The son of the Team Penske president didn’t make it to the playoffs last year, finishing 24th in the standings. It was a disappointing season by his standards, finishing in the top-10 just five times compared to nine times in his rookie year.

Team Penske has struggled in recent months, and Cindric’s win was also his second top-10 finish in the season so far. The victory was the first points-race win for Team Penske in 15 races this year, a testament to how they have turned their misfortunes around.

In Episode 31 of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, the NASCAR legend praised Austin Cindric while criticizing other rookies for failing at the basics. Harvick said, “You can’t just go fast every week, you have to be able to figure out how to finish races, put yourself in positions to do exactly what Austin Cindric did this week. That’s what a lot of them don’t learn, they don’t learn how to finish races, keep yourself in contentions, do the small things right. You don’t have to be that gasser every single lap of every race. If you can do all those things. Do the details, do the small things. The rest of it will take care of itself.”

It was a testament to how well Team Penske did at World Wide Technology Raceway that all three drivers – Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano made only three pit stops, as compared to at least four for all other competitors. This meant that both Blaney and Austin Cindric were first and second towards the end of the race, with Cindric taking the win after Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang ran out of fuel with just a lap to go.

How have the other rookies fared?

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Hailing from Hendersonville, Tennessee, Josh Berry came into his debut full-time NASCAR Cup Series season with high expectations. He already had five career NASCAR Xfinity Series wins in the bag, and had won the 2020 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. However, his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing hasn’t gone as expected.

Yes, the team is ceasing operations at the end of the season, and it brings several limitations that Berry has to work with. But, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the 33-year-old is currently ranked 20th, with two top-10 and one top-5 finish this season. It’s fair to say that Josh Berry is fighting for his future in the NASCAR Cup Series, and he will need results to get a seat next season.

At 21, Carson Hocevar is considered to be an exciting NASCAR prospect. From Portage, Michigan, Hocevar was the Winchester 400 champion with four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins in 2020. Currently racing for Spire Motorsport, Hocevar has managed to get just two top-10 finishes this season, neither of which came on drafting tracks. He has also led just three laps in the last 15 races in his No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. With 109 points outside the playoffs, it has been a season to forget for the rookie.

As for Justin Haley, the Rick Ware Racing driver doesn’t have a single win, top-5 finish, or a pole in his debut NASCAR Cup Series season. With just two top-10 finishes in his No. 51 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, the driver has led just four laps in the last 15 races. It’s been a difficult season for Justin Haley, one that the 25-year-old can learn from and improve in the future.

What are your views on NASCAR’s rookies? Let us know in the comments