Austin Cindric was elated to be on the Rouff Mortgage Victory Lane after his spectacular win at the 2022 Daytona 500, as seen in a video posted on Twitter. The Team Penske driver managed to just edge out Bubba Wallace Jr. to take the win.
Ryan Blaney, Cindric's team-mate, played a crucial role in the latter winning the prestigious event, as he pushed the #2 car around for most of the race. In the video, he can be seen posing with his car while Team Penske's crew members celebrate in the background amongst the confetti.
Watch the video below:
In an interview, the debutant later said:
“It has been awesome to look back at the photos, to how Ryan and the guys celebrated on pit lane.”
Austin Cindric also appreciated the fact that he was the first rookie driver to be victorious in the #2 Team Penske Ford, a car that has a history of winning. Now, with his win at Super Speedway, all three Team Penske cars are Daytona 500 winners. He is also happy that his win cements him for a full season in the team.
In November 2021, Cindric came runner-up in the final race of the Xfinity Series, effectively losing out on last year's championship. His win at the Daytona this year redeemed his loss and left fans feeling good.
Bubba Wallace Jr. disappointed after losing Daytona 500 to rookie Austin Cindric
Bubba Wallace Jr. was left wanting more after he finished P2 in the 2022 Daytona 500. He was pipped to the line by Cup Series rookie Austin Cindric in the #2 Team Penske Ford. In post-race media interviews, Wallace said:
“What could have been right? [I’m] Just dejected.”
He later tweeted saying:
“The process of chasing dreams is experiencing the heart breaks. Solid effort by the @23XIRacing team. Stings, but we’ll take this momentum into the season.”
This was the second time in Wallace Jr.'s career that he came second in the Great American Race. On the prior occasion, he was making his debut in the event in 2018 for Richard Petty Motorsports. It seems his pursuit of winning the most famous event of the Cup Series calendar continues for another year.