CUP: Austin Cindric’s strong start to 2024 hampered by bad Phoenix weekend
by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
PHOTO: Kevin Nix, @kevin_nix33
Austin Cindric picked up the 3rd last-place finish of his NASCAR Cup Series career in Sunday’s Shriners Children’s 500 at the Phoenix Raceway when his #2 Menards / Duracell Ford was collected in a multi-car accident after 6 of 312 laps.
The finish, which came in Cindric’s 83rd series start, was his first of the season and first in a Cup Series race since August 7, 2022 at Michigan, 53 races ago. In the Cup Series’ last-place rankings, it was the 30th for the #2, the 665th from a crash, and the 739th for Ford. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 36th for the #2, the 1,030th for Ford, and the 1,369th from a crash.
Through the first few races of this season, Cindric showed both speed and aggression, shaking off the disappointment of a lackluster 24th-place rank in points last year. In his Duel at Daytona, he sliced under fellow Ford driver Harrison Burton on the final lap to take a close 2nd. He led 13 laps in the Daytona 500 and was charging up the inside line when he was collected in the big wreck, dropping him to 22nd. Atlanta saw him lead another 32 laps, none more dramatic than his four-wide pass entering Turn 1 with 50 laps to go. Again, he was among the leaders coming to the line, this time finishing 4th behind the three-wide photo finish for the win. He then qualified a season-best 3rd last week in Las Vegas – his third-straight top-ten start of the season – and was battling among the leaders before a pit road speeding penalty under green dropped him back to 29th – though still on the lead lap.
Cindric was among the only 36 Chartered entries to fill the garage area at Phoenix, the first Cup Series race in 2024 without a single “open” team in the field. Cindric ranked a strong 5th in opening practice as the field made sense of NASCAR’s new low-downforce package, then struggled in qualifying, ranking just 34th with a speed of 130.331mph (27.622 seconds).
Securing the 36th and final starting spot was Josh Berry, who lost control of his #4 SunnyD Ford on his qualifying lap, resulting in the slowest time of 93.691mph (38.424 seconds), more than 11 seconds off the pole. He also made slight wall contact with the left-front corner, forcing the Stewart-Haas Racing team to make repairs that would incur him a redundant tail-end penalty on Sunday. No other drivers dropped to the back, so Berry was last across the stripe, 3.064 seconds back of the lead.
Moments after the start, Berry’s spotter radioed he was on the outside of a three-wide battle for position, including 31st-place qualifier Kyle Busch in the #8 Zone Chevrolet. Busch would later radio that he was struggling with his car’s handling, which dropped him to last by Lap 3, 5.059 seconds back of the lead. On Lap 5, Busch pulled alongside Kaz Grala, whose #15 N29 Capital Partners Ford took last, but only by 0.045 second. The battle continued for the next lap, this time with Grala ahead of Busch by just 0.035. Then on Lap 7, Busch’s spotter called for him to “check up” for a wreck off Turn 2.
Derek Kraus, making just his second career Cup start in the #16 Western States Flooring Chevrolet, spun out from around 27th place. Behind Kraus, Cindric was trapped on the inside line with Zane Smith’s #71 Focused Health Chevrolet ahead of him and Ryan Preece’s #41 United Rentals Ford to his outside. Lost in the smoke behind them, Austin Dillon’s #3 Morgan & Morgan Chevrolet made contact with Cindric, who also damaged his left-front suspension trying to clear Kraus. Kraus’ car then appeared from the smoke too late for Dillon, who struck the side of the #16.
Cindric gets a tow from pit road. PHOTO: Jonathan Fjeld, @Jonathan_Fjeld
As all three drivers made it to pit road, Dillon’s damage seemed much worse than both Cindric’s and Kraus’. Kraus was first to take over last place on the 7th lap, but Cindric claimed it on Lap 8. That time by, Cindric’s crew was already talking about which garage entrance to take their car. Pitted in Stall 8, the crew had an opening two stalls behind them, but it was decided to call for a tow truck to pull them past the exit of pit road into the opening at the dogleg. On Lap 10, Cindric was told to climb out, and the crew stopped working under the hood. Kraus had by then returned to the track, remaining on the lead lap, while work continued on Dillons battered left-front. By Lap 12, Dillon was rolling again in 35th, four laps down, and he passed Cindric’s towed car near pit exit. Dillon and Kraus cleared the “Crash Clock” on the restart, and Cindric’s car reached the team’s transporter on Lap 19. On Lap 31, NASCAR declared Cindric the first car out.
Cindric’s car being towed, from Dillon’s on-board after repairs. IMAGE: NASCAR Drive
Dillon only climbed to 32nd by the finish, moving past three drivers collected in a pileup through Turns 1 and 2 on Lap 204. Heading into the corner, John Hunter Nemechek bumped Joey Logano’s #22 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford into a spin, collecting three other cars. Logano finished 34th ahead of Derek Kraus, who after recovering from his tangle with Dillon was eliminated after the crash. Also taken out was 33rd-place Corey LaJoie, whose streak of 44 consecutive races without a DNF – the longest active streak – ended due to damage to his #7 Group1001 Chevrolet.
LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This marked the first last-place finish for the #2 in a Cup Series race at Phoenix.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
36) #2-Austin Cindric / 6 laps / crash
35) #16-Derek Kraus / 203 laps / crash
34) #22-Joey Logano / 203 laps / crash
33) #7-Corey LaJoie / 204 laps / crash
32) #3-Austin Dillon / 304 laps / running
2024 LASTCAR CUP SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Kaulig Racing, Penske Racing, RFK Racing, Spire Motorsports (1)
2024 LASTCAR CUP SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Chevrolet, Ford (2)
2024 LASTCAR CUP SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
