Team Penske Star Unwinds Rugged Fight to Stay Close to Ryan Blaney in Atlanta

Atlanta’s stage was set this past Sunday to witness Austin Cindric‘s ‘cool move’ in pursuit of Ryan Blaney. Though a lot unwinded on the track, Austin’s efforts to keep pace with his teammate were surely one of the major highlights of the match. The race was so intense and uncertain that even the winner, Daniel Suarez, could only hope before the photo evidence hit the scene.

The racing world will remember the happenings of this race as it notes down the third-closest finish in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series. The Atlanta Motor Speedway also saw its largest-ever pileup on the second lap, involving a minimum of 16 cars setting off a chain reaction of crashes. Things heated up as Austin Cindric made a bold move with his Team Penske Ford, diving to the bottom of the track to overtake and grab the lead with only 50 laps to go. His high-risk move is not only a product of courage and competitiveness but also an urge to help his teammate towards his season’s first win.

Austin Cindric hopes his track maneuver looked cool on TV

Austin Cindric may not have clinched the win, but a heart-stopping move that had fans utterly captivated marked his fourth-place finish. Driving the No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang, Cindric seized an opportunity that was a gambit with a potential payoff, thus confronting a tight battle for the lead ahead. With Michael McDowell, Martin Truex Jr, and Chase Briscoe jostling three-wide, Cindric saw his chance and launched his car into a daring four-wide move. The move not only propelled him into the lead but also brought forth a collective gasp from the crowd. Reflecting on his bold decision post-race, Cindric’s face lit up with excitement as he described the thrill of navigating the four-wide challenge.

Talking to journalist Peter Stratta, he said, “It must have looked as cool as it felt. I mean, you don’t get runs like that too often and be able to take them and do something with them. But I was pretty confident I was going to get clear before the corner and stay above the double white line. But yeah, it was cool. The car was fast enough to stay out front. Just really proud of the effort”. 

However, as Austin Cindric continued, it was pretty apparent that his move wasn’t just cool; it was strategically aimed at benefitting his teammate, Ryan Blaney.

Cindric intended to seize the lead to assist Ryan in securing the win, even if it meant being stuck in a ‘real tight aero spot’ while following Blaney.

Regretting how things unfolded despite his best efforts, he said, “Fun to lead laps on the stage. Real shame Ryan was in a really tough spot there at the end of the race to try and hold those runs off. Yeah, I wish I was there to maybe help him out a little better“.

Austin Cindric’s move has definitely got us thinking and remembering the 64th Daytona 500.

Back when Cindric hyped up his teammate Ryan Blaney

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Back in 2022, Austin Cindric scored his first Daytona 500 win. Yet, the win came at the cost of blocking his own teammate Ryan Blaney. At the start of the two-lap overtime shootout, Cindric led the race with Blaney alongside him. However, Cindric noticed that the former driver of the #2 Ford, Keselowski, was trailing behind him. Determined not to be overtaken, Cindric took action.

He quickly switched lanes after passing Blaney, getting in front of his teammate so they could work together for the final two laps. Blaney tried to pass Cindric from the outside, but Cindric blocked him, forcing Blaney into the outside wall. And post that, Cindric only thought about winning, beating Bubba Wallace to the finish line.

Later on, Cindric went ahead to thank Blaney, saying, “appreciate Ryan being a great teammate. Obviously, he wants to win this one.” Blaney, too, fully understood the importance of Team Penske winning as he commented, “I wanted to try to win the race for Roger Penske. Whether that was me or another car, that’s what I was doing” — and didn’t have much to say after the race about Cindric’s block. I don’t know. Congrats to him, I guess. You’ve got to throw a block in that situation”. 

Read More: Austin Cindric Bites His Tongue After Being Called Out by Corey Lajoie for Wrecking Accusations at Daytona

So, it is reasonable to ponder if Austin’s effort to help Blaney this time was from that lingering gratitude for the winning push Blaney had given him.