Austrin Cindric, looking to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut, will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 under the Team Penske banner.
Cindric, a 22-year-old Ohio native, captured the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. He earned five wins in a six-race stretch at midseason, then captured the season-ending event at Phoenix.
He will compete in the No. 33 Ford at Daytona.
“There is a lot to be excited about heading into Daytona,” Cindric said in a statement released by the team. “It doesn’t really even need to be said that the Daytona 500 is the biggest crown jewel race in NASCAR and one of the biggest races in the world, so to have a shot to be in the show while driving for Roger Penske is a big opportunity. Qualifying our way into the race as an ‘open’ car will be a big challenge.
“I look forward to working with Miles and all of the guys on the No. 33 team, while also continuing my focus on winning back-to-back Xfinity Series championships.”
Team Penske announced that Cindric would compete at select other Cup Series events in the No. 33 car this year while also defending his Xfinity Series title. Cindric plans to join the Cup Series full time in 2022 with Wood Brothers Racing.
Miles Stanley, previously part of Penske’s teams with drivers Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano, will be the crew chief for the No. 33 team. Stanley also will remain a race engineer for Penske’s No. 12 car driven by Blaney.
“Ever since I joined Team Penske in 2013, I’ve been able to grow as an engineer and learn from some of the best in the business,” Stanley said in a statement. “Now I get the chance to become a Cup Series crew chief with one of the formidable organizations in the sport, which is an amazing opportunity. To get to do it with Austin at Daytona International Speedway is a perfect recipe for success.”
–Field Level Media