Countdown to Daytona 2026 - 14 Days

By Adam Carabine

Counting down the final 30 days to the 2026 Daytona 500, we are looking at last year's Top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. Today's driver: Austin Cindric

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

No. 2 Car – Team Penske

2025 Stats

Standings	14th
Wins	1
Points	2,156
Stage Points	141
Stage Wins	3
Laps Led	325
Lead Lap Finishes	22
Average Finish	20.9
DNFs	3
Races since last win	26

What Does Success Look Like in 2026?

Austin Cindric is a hard guy to read.  He’s in top-tier equipment, and yet he’s clearly the ‘third driver’ on a team of three.  Teammates Logano and Blaney are out there winning championships, and Cindric is lucky if he squeaked into the playoffs.  When Cindric was a regular down in the Xfinity Series, we saw him being quite dominant on road courses, but for some reason we haven’t seen that translate to the Cup Series yet.  Success in 2026 for Cindric is probably to make it into The Chase, but it won’t be easy.

Best-Case Scenario in 2026?

Cindric has shown that he’s solid at drafting tracks, and with some solid previous acumen on the road courses, let’s give him a win at Talladega, and Top 5s at the road courses – enough to get into The Chase.

Most Likely Outcome in 2026?

It’s hard to imagine Cindric winning any more than just a single race, and even that is probably most likely at a drafting track where luck can play a big part.  He’s a fringe contender to make The Chase at best.

Bold Prediction?

Cindric goes winless and is out of a ride at the end of the season.