"50-50 decisiveness and 50 percent luck" - Austin Cindric describes his NASCAR Talladega race weekend

The Yellawood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway saw Team Penske's Austin Cindric, a playoff contender in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, finish in P9 while trying to keep his championship hopes alive. The #2 Ford Mustang driver sits on the fringes of the cutoff line in P9 after his performances in the 500-lap-long race last weekend.

With stage points just as crucial as a trip to Victory Lane for drivers eyeing the big prize, Cindric managed to capitalize on a day where some of his Round of 8 hopeful drivers failed to do so. The 24-year-old rookie managed to collect seven playoff points during the first stage of the 188-lap-long race by finishing in P4. His ultimate finish in P9 after not scoring in any subsequent stages meant he sits square with Stewart-Haas Racing driver Chase Briscoe, with one more race to go.

After completing the race, Austin Cindric evaluated how he managed to finish where he did and said:

“Stage points are a big deal, I think when everybody tries to scatter to do what’s best for them, it’s very important to be decisive. I was able to make some good moves and be able to be in some lanes that moved. I’d call it 50-50 decisiveness and 50 percent luck. It certainly puts us in a good spot to race for a spot in the Round of 8 at the (Charlotte) Roval."

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Austin Cindric speaks his mind on the intensity of racing at Talladega Superspeedway

The winner of the 2022 Daytona 500, Austin Cindric, is having a great rookie year in the NASCAR Cup Series. After winning the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, Cindric has managed to stay relevant in the 2022 playoffs, driving his #2 Ford Mustang.

The sport's last visit to Talladega Superspeedway had many drivers in two minds about the aggressiveness of the field, coupled with the Next Gen car's safety issues. The moments after the race, however, saw drivers and fans pleasantly surprised with a race that did not involve a huge wreck, even when drivers battled for the win.

Austin Cindric elaborated on how intense the race was at the 1.66-mile-long oval and said:

“It was fun to work some lanes. I know it’s not the big crashes and intense three-wide, and big blocks but that’s some intense racing for long amount of time to be that close to one another, bumping off of each other.”

Watch the complete interview below:

NASCAR goes live from the Charlotte Roval Road Course next Sunday for the Bank of America Roval 400.