Penske driver Austin Cindric will run a vintage Dale Earnhardt-inspired theme at Darlington 

Team Penske driver Austin Cindric will pay tribute to NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt by running a special throwback paint scheme at the upcoming Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. The No. 2 Freightliner Ford Mustang will feature a blue and yellow design inspired by Earnhardt’s 1979 and 1980 car.

Austin Cindric with Dale Earnhardt's throwback themed car. Source: Instagram, @darlingtonraceway

The tribute was revealed on Tuesday at the South Carolina Governor’s Mansion. Austin Cindric was joined by Governor Henry McMaster and Darlington Raceway President Josh Harris. Cindric’s throwback scheme is based on the history of the No. 2 car and Earnhardt’s early career.

Driving for Rod Osterlund, Earnhardt piloted the blue and yellow No. 2 in 1979 and 1980, winning Rookie of the Year in 1979 and securing his first career victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. He went on to win his first of seven Cup Series championships the following year.

“There are few names in our sport more recognizable than Earnhardt,” said Cindric. “The opportunity to pay tribute to a legend, while also recognizing the incredible history of the No. 2 in NASCAR, was the goal behind this scheme. Freightliner has always been an incredible partner for us at Team Penske and played a key role in bringing this vision to life. We’ve had a lot of fun working through the details, and I hope our car stands out for fans at the track and those tuning in during Darlington Throwback Weekend.” (via Jayski.com)

The No. 2 car holds a special place in NASCAR’s history, with 102 Cup Series wins. Earnhardt won six races in the blue and yellow scheme that Cindric will now take with him into Darlington’s Throwback Weekend.

Columbia, South Carolina, was chosen for the scheme’s reveal because of its strong ties to both Darlington Raceway and Freightliner. The city is close to Freightliner’s headquarters in Fort Mill, South Carolina, one of Daimler Truck North America’s major facilities.

As Darlington Raceway celebrates its 75th anniversary, this will be the 11th Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR. Josh Harris, President of Darlington Raceway, also talked about the significance of the tribute. In his own words,

“Darlington is the perfect place to celebrate NASCAR’s heritage, and this scheme is a fantastic tribute to Dale Earnhardt and the legacy of the No. 2. Throwback Weekend is all about honoring the icons who shaped the sport, and we’re thrilled to see Austin and Team Penske bring this classic look back to life for the fans.” (via Jayski.com)

The Goodyear 400 will take place on Sunday, April 6, at 3:00 p.m. ET. It will air on FOX Sports 1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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NASCAR to Review Austin Cindric-Ty Dillon Incident at COTA

NASCAR Cup Series officials are reviewing an on-track incident involving Austin Cindric and Ty Dillon from last Sunday’s race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Managing director Brad Moran confirmed that the sanctioning body will evaluate whether further action is necessary.

“Yeah, unfortunately, that happened early on in the race, so there was not a caution at that point for it,” Moran said Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “But we are going to go back, and that’s on our list today, so we’ll have a look at that and see if there was something there that we do not like, and if there is, we’ll have to deal with it.” (via On3)

The incident occurred on Lap 4 when Dillon made contact with Austin Cindric, forcing him off track. Cindric later caught up to Dillon and appeared to retaliate by making contact with Dillon’s right rear bumper, sending him into the wall. Cindric finished 25th, while Dillon crossed the line in 28th. Dillon expressed frustration after the race, calling out Austin Cindric’s actions.

“A frustrating day,” Dillon said. “We made a pass and got hooked [by Cindric] on Lap 4. That destroyed the whole right front of our car. We battled back from that all day; we just didn’t have the downforce we needed without a right front on it. We did all we could with our Sea Best Chevy.” (via On3)

The key question now is whether NASCAR will penalize Cindric for the move. In similar cases before this, such incidents have led to penalties. Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic weighed in on the situation, saying that NASCAR’s decision may not be straightforward.

“I don’t know how NASCAR handles this, because it almost, the precedent’s been set,” Bianchi said on The Teardown podcast. “We’ve seen the last few years how these things go. It’s really tough. It’s not a high-speed area of the track, they’re just kind of coming through a corner. Not like they’re at the top of the hill or anything like that at speed. It’s really tough to look at this and say, ‘Is this suspension worthy?’ Because I do feel like if you suspend it for this, the box is really, really open.” (via On3)

Previously a case of such a penalty includes that of Carson Hocevar. He was punished for intentionally spinning Harrison Burton under caution last season.