Roger Penske's driver Austin Cindric silences critics with strong playoff start, eyes on next round after Watkins Glen

Austin Cindric has been defying the odds in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with yet another strong performance at Watkins Glens. He had back-to-back P10 finishes in the first two races of the Round of 16 for Team Penske, a long-running team owned by Roger Penske.

Cindric is a 26-year-old driver who pilots the No. 2 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. He is one of the four playoff drivers expected to make a potential first-round exit along with Alex Bowman, Chase Briscoe, and Harrison Burton.

During a post-race interview, Austin Cindric commended the team for his P10 finish at Watkins Glen, which earned him 33 points.

“The team did a great job, you know, it’s the same story as last week, just bringing a fast car and being able to executewell enough to get a good finish and solid points," Cindric said.

The North Carolina native believed the No. 2 team could’ve had better results than P10 at Atlanta and Watkins Glen.

“I thought we were probably a little bit better than 10th and thought were a little bit better than 10th last week. But these base hits are what really matters for this first couple of rounds," Cindric stated.

Austin Cindric told the reporter that he is proud of the team. However, the driver expressed his concern about how they will perform at Bristol, considering the results can be unpredictable.

“Never feel quite safe going to a place like Bristol with all the unknowns there. So, excited to keep going," Cindric said."

When asked about his thoughts on the Bristol night race, Cindric said:

“You’re asking me about a racetrack that I blew a right front tire in 15 laps so maybe ask me Saturday.”

According to NASCAR’s rankings for the 2024 Cup Series Playoff drivers, Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the worst tracks for Austin Cindric. He hasn’t had a strong performance in Tennessee, with him finishing 31st at the Food City 500 earlier this year.

The third and final race in the Round of 16 will be held at Bristol on September 21, where four drivers will be eliminated from the playoffs. The drivers below the cut line are Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., and Harrison Burton, respectively.

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Austin Cindric and Team Penske’s race results at Watkins Glen

While Team Penske had a strong performance in Atlanta, the Ford drivers struggled to score good points at Watkins Glen. Austin Cindric is the top finishing driver from Team Penske, which fields Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.

Cindric also finished ahead of 14 playoff drivers, with Chase Briscoe leading the playoff grid in 6th.

Logano crossed the line in P15, garnering 30 points for his efforts on the road course. Meanwhile, Blaney was out of the Watkins Glen race early after getting involved in a multi-car crash caused by Corey LaJoie. His No. 12 Ford couldn’t drive back to the pits, thus it was disqualified.

Joey Logano already qualified for the Round of 12 following his win in the postseason opener—Quaker State 400 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Austin Cindric is sitting in 3rd in the playoff standings and +43 to the cut line, while Ryan Blaney is in 8th and +29.