Austin Cindric’s third Cup series race victory came with controversy, sparked by Joey Logano’s radio rant against him. Logano was irked with the #2 driver for giving up the Stage 2 win to Bubba Wallace, and not pushing Logano enough to help him win. However, Cindric had stated in his post-race media session that such things are bound to happen and they’d talk about it in due course.
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During the final laps of Stage 2, Cindric, leading the charge, was forced to lift off the throttle and slip out of line, inadvertently opening the door for Wallace to claim the stage win. Logano crossed the line in second, Kyle Larson in third, while Cindric faded to fourth.
Despite the respectable result, Logano’s frustration boiled over on the radio, where he unleashed a tirade against Cindric, branding him a “dumb f**k” and a “dumba**” in the heat of the moment.
On Monday, when Cindric made an appearance on NASCAR Daily, speaking with Shannon Spake, Cindric revealed that it’s not a normal situation, considering Logano’s rant went public. He also stated that although these types of disagreements, conversations, and frustrations occur, the Penske boys usually keep them within their garage. Moreover, he understood Logano’s emotion behind the outburst.
Cindric admitted he wasn’t entirely pleased with how the Stage 2 finish unfolded either and recognized there were things he could have executed more cleanly. Yet, he noted that certain aspects — particularly the emotional response and name-calling — warrant a deeper conversation within the team.
That said, he emphasized, “I look to not put much value into it. I feel like we do a lot for each other, and I feel like we have to not overlook what makes us so good, because that’s the truth, and you see it time and time again with our company on these types of tracks.”
“So, I feel strong to stick to that belief but also challenge where can I be better, and where can we do better as a team,” he added. The #2 driver noted that communication lapses and name-calling are matters the team will certainly put under the microscope.
Austin Cindric, who currently sits in P14 with a win, will next compete with the Cup boys at Texas Motor Speedway, a track where he has made three starts and has an average finish of 22.3. Despite his efforts, he has yet to crack the top 10 there, with his best showing being a P15 result in 2022.
