Keeping it close to the Team Penske family, Brad Keselowski, owner of Brad Keselowski Racing announced Tuesday that Austin Cindric, son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric will drive the No. 29 Ford F-150 in Saturday’s Kroger 200 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
While the 17-year-old may be a surprise pick for the final short track race of the season, many feel it’s a prime opportunity for the teenager to showcase his talent with some of the best equipment in the garage.
“I’m really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the Cooper Standard Ford F-150 and can’t thank Brad enough for this opportunity,” Cindric said. “I’ve never been to Martinsville so it’ll be a whole new experience. I’ll just take it lap by lap and absorb as much information as possible. I just need to make sure I gain the respect of the competitors because I’m new to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. I have no expectations. I’ll just take what the weekend brings me and go from there.”
Cindric, the High School junior will sub for injured driver Austin Theriault who has been sidelined from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series following a crash on Oct. 3 at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. In the crash, the Fort Kent, Maine native suffered a 10 percent compression fracture in his lower back.
The 21-year-old continues to work through physical therapy in hopes of returning to the seat before seasons end at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on Nov. 20.
Cindric, the Columbus, Ohio native currently competes full-time in the IMSA Continential Tire Sports Car Challenge, driving the No. 158 Ford Shelby GT 350R-C for Multimac Motorsports. He also competes in the Global RallyCross Championship Lites for Olsberg MSE, where he where won at Daytona on June 21.
He became the youngest driver to enter the Bathurst 12 Hour race in Australia in February and earned a podium finish in the X-Games last summer.
Though it may have been his two showings in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards where Cindric honed his stock car potential.
At Iowa Speedway in July, Cindric contended for the race win in his series debut, leading 29 laps before finishing fourth in a green-white-checkered finish. In September, he appeared to be on his way to Victory Lane with a commanding lead in the Crosley Brands 150 at Kentucky Speedway, before a flat tire relegated him to a 17th place finish after starting fourth.
There’s no debate that the difference between ARCA and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is huge, but Cindric’s ability to take care of his equipment and be mindful of his surroundings could pay significant dividends in his NASCAR debut.
It’s not uncommon for a relatively inexperienced driver or team to have success at Martinsville’s 0.526 paperclip oval in their first go-around. Daniel Suarez and Matt Tifft are two promising drivers who are shining examples. And of course, while surviving the carnage and managing your tires are key components to success, patience will clearly be Cindric’s biggest advocate.
Brian Keselowski’s near win last Saturday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway is proof that 2012 Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski knows what he’s doing by picking adequate substitutes to keep the seat warm until Theriault’s return.
“One of the things I wanted to do at BKR is give talented young drivers an opportunity,” offered team owner Brad Keselowski. “Austin Cindric already has an incredibly diverse racing background. We’re happy to give him an opportunity in the Cooper Standard Ford F-150 at Martinsville to learn what it’s like to compete at a high level in NASCAR and to gain experience so he’ll be prepared to take the next step in his career.”
In the meantime, it’s up to those drivers to make most of the opportunity laid in their lap – and like Brian Keselowski, Cindric, the youngest IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge winner isn’t expected to disappoint.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
