Austin Cindric has rapidly evolved from an Xfinity Series champion to a full-time driver in NASCAR’s premier Cup Series. After an impressive rookie season in 2022, he won the Daytona 500, and he matured as a driver anchoring Team Penske’s No. 2 Ford. His consistency in 2025, exemplified by a thrilling last-lap victory at Talladega and a strong run of top-20 finishes, shows that he is gradually emerging as a reliable force in the field.

Beyond wins and figures, Cindric’s tenacity has garnered attention. His moving story of a mentally and physically taxing 2020 Bristol Xfinity race, in which he battled through a malfunctioning power-steering system and collapsed after losing the lead, highlights a level of toughness and self-awareness that isn’t always evident on the broadcast. A glimpse of his personality stood out during his feature with the NY Times Athletic this week. 

Fans Often Misread NASCAR’s Quiet Competitor

During the Athletic’s weekly 12-question feature, with Jeff Gluck hosting Cindric as the guest, the questions were placed on a broader spectrum, with one specifically that garnered attention: “What do people get wrong about you?”

Austin Cindric, as organic as the response could be, said, “I don’t know. I stopped paying attention to what people think a long time ago. I feel like I’m always 100 percent myself. There’s no ‘public Austin’ and ‘not public Austin.’ Maybe a filtered version of me in terms of what words I choose, but who I am doesn’t change. At the same time, I don’t feel the need to project. And in a public space, as an athlete or a performer, you’re almost expected to project.” This straightforwardness makes him appear less theatrical in a sport where audiences often crave more flamboyant personalities.

Fans and the media alike frequently misunderstand or ignore Austin Cindric’s attitude and philosophy. Furthermore, despite his obvious bursts of speed and skill, the public may tend to underestimate him based on irregular mid-pack results. Athletes are often expected to project a polished “persona” in public, but Cindric is refreshingly honest. He doesn’t put on a staged front; he just turns up, gets the job done, and lets the racing do the talking. 

“But I’m here to show up and go racing with my team. I honestly keep it that simple. Most of the time, fans just hit me with the ‘Wow, you’re way taller than I thought.’ Past that, I do not guess the rest,” he added. He also has a deeper dimension in how he handles challenging circumstances.

After spinning Ty Dillon at COTA in early 2025, Cindric received a lot of negative fan reaction. Instead of suspending him, NASCAR docked him 50 points and fined $50,000, which raised questions about consistency in enforcement and whether fans felt that NASCAR was being too kind. He continued to concentrate on competing and advancing in spite of such critiques.

These elements come together to create a story that frequently eludes casual observation: Cindric is reliable, resilient, and able to tolerate emotional and physical stress. He also refrains from changing his face for the camera. Critics occasionally only notice what the highlights don’t show, but his supporters have witnessed his development from Xfinity champion to seasoned Cup competitor. And with such a journey in the sport, he has pointed out a few technical differences between the different NASCAR series.

Austin Cindric Breaks Down the Aero Battle Across Series

Austin Cindric explained the differences in aerodynamics across NASCAR’s three national series. “I feel like in the Xfinity car with the longer rear quarterpanels, you could affect the car in front of you by your proximity a lot more than you can in our (Cup Series) cars. On the flip side, taking air off each other’s doors in the Truck and Xfinity car also affects the racing.”

The structural variations between the vehicles are reflected in that contrast. With its symmetrical body, composite panels, and diffuser, the Cup Series Next Gen car, which debuted in 2022, is less susceptible to side drafting than its predecessor.

Xfinity cars, on the other hand, have a conventional body with longer quarter panels that enable more control over the air surrounding a rival, making side-by-side racing more responsive. The aerodynamic impact is further exaggerated by trucks’ squared-off bodywork.

Cindric continued, “That’s the nature of having a highly competitive series. If I’m half-a-tenth to a tenth faster than you in any series, am I going to realistically expect to pass you? That’s going to be a hard pass to make. I’m going to have to go off the line, have a big enough run, so I think there are a lot of details other than just the air.” His observation reflects more general debates over passing difficulty in the Cup Series, where timing and execution are valued more highly than pure speed, and data from NASCAR’s loop statistics frequently demonstrates smaller gaps between cars than in the lesser competitive divisions.