"We've never lost faith in Austin Cindric" - Penske official reaffirms belief in Gateway race winner

Team Penske driver Austin Cindric returned to victory lane at World Wide Technology Raceway, snapping his 85-race winless streak which dated back to his 2022 Daytona 500 victory. The victory has reaffirmed the team's faith in him.

Cindric had an impressive rookie campaign in the Cup Series followed by a disappointing sophomore season. He couldn't qualify for the playoffs while both of his experienced teammates managed to do so with Ryan Blaney winning the title.

While Austin Cindric was going through a slump, Walt Czarnecki, Vice Chairman of Penske Corporation, stated that the team never lost faith in the #2 Ford driver. Czarnecki said that Cindric was frustrated with the results but never lost his desire to return to the victory lane. The Penske VC said in the post-race press conference (via Bob Pockrass):

"He's a fellow who has been frustrated. But he's come along, in particularly the last five or six races we've seen a great deal of progress. He's never lost his desire, his intensity. I use the word 'desire' to win."

Walt Czarnecki reiterated his faith in Austin Cindric, expressing his confidence in the latter to win races whenever the team brings race-winning machinery.

"I will tell you, he has not lost his desire. This is a reaffirming situation, circumstance for him today. In fact, we just talked about it in Victory Lane. We've never lost faith in Austin Cindric, I promise you," Czarnecki concluded.

Austin Cindric qualified on the front row ahead of his teammates for the Enjoy Illinois 300. During the race, Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell put on race-winning performances, with Cindric following close behind leading 53 laps.

With Bell suffering from mechanical issues and Blaney running out of fuel on the penultimate lap, Cindric inherited the lead and won his second Cup Series race.

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Austin Cindric expresses sympathy for Ryan Blaney and the #12 team

Ryan Blaney came heartbreakingly close to winning the Enjoy Illinois 300 and securing a playoff berth as the defending champion. He was denied victory on the penultimate lap as his #12 Ford ran out of fuel and dropped down the order to secure a 24th-place finish.

Austin Cindric sympathized with Ryan Blaney and the team, acknowledging the importance of a win and playoff points for a championship-caliber driver. Despite securing a playoff berth, Cindric believes he is not yet a title contender and hopes to reach his teammate's level. He said in the press conference (via SpeedwayDigest.com):

"Honestly, heartbroken for those guys. I know it might sound cliché to say that, but I really do feel that way. Those guys are championship contenders. A win, five Playoff points goes a long way for those guys. We have an important summer coming up for our group to be able to put ourselves on that level every week."

Ryan Blaney previously experienced heartbreak at Atlanta Motor Speedway, losing to Daniel Suarez by a margin of 0.003 seconds. He currently sits 12th in the regular season standings.