AVONDALE, Ariz: Austin Cindric was so close to his second NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, he could taste the champagne.
Cindric in his final Xfinity Series race as a full-time driver had the dominant car in Saturday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway, but in NASCAR overtime, Cindric found himself in a horrendous battle with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Daniel Hemric for the win and championship honors.
Cindric restarted the race with the lead, but a relentless effort from Hemric kept the No. 18 Toyota Supra in his rearview mirror. Cindric led coming to the white flag, but Hemric wasn’t done yet.
As the cars screamed out of Turn 3 in between Turn 4 with the checkered flag waving, Hemric gave Cindric a bump and sent the two vehicles side-by-side coming to the checkered flag and the championship.
The two-door slammed but Hemric edged the reigning Xfinity Series champion for his first career race win and the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship with Cindric, just 0.030-second behind at the line.
The Mooresville, N.C. native scored his third consecutive second-place finish Saturday night and after being ruffled over the past three weeks, Cindric understandably emerged from his No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang frustrated.
“If everyone in the stands enjoyed it, it’s good racing,” said Cindric after the race. “I’m appreciative of the opportunity to race on such a big stage, race for Roger Penske, represent Ford Performance, all of our sponsors that helped us this season.
“Certainly not how I would have wanted it to go. Just trying to get clear off the top. I have put myself in too many bad spots giving people the bottom. I am not sure if I should have drove in shallower or softer or whatever it may be.
“I feel like I was pretty vulnerable with how close he still was to me and still packing left rear air. I got a little free into three and that is all she wrote. Obviously disappointed to have the car we had and the success we had this year and not be able to close it out. We put ourselves in position and sometimes that is all you can do.”
“It would have been awesome to finish this out. I felt like we had a dominant race car, felt like we did everything right. Come up a little short. Sometimes it’s like that way.
“Unfortunately, at the end of both seasonal championships this year, I’m getting obviously moved out of the way, endured. That’s hard racing. That’s why everyone enjoys watching this series, is because there’s a lot on the line.
“Thankful for the opportunity. Pissed to be second for like the third week in a row.”
Despite restarting for the race lead, Cindric expected Hemric to vigorously put up a fight and was waiting for the bump from the 30-year-old champion.
“I know my left rear bumper cover is vulnerable as ever,” added Cindric. “Obviously, Daniel was in position to be the advocate of that. He certainly used it. He’s the champion because of it.”
33 races in all, Cindric will finish second in the championship standings with five wins, 22 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes in all. He said it is frustrating to not earn back-to-back championship considering the season his Team Penske team had.
“This is why it’s so frustrating to come up so short,” added Cindric. “One lap is all you need. Maybe one restart. You never know.
“But to make it this far, have the season we’ve had, the stats obviously show the consistency and the way our team has performed throughout the season, doesn’t matter the type of racetrack, I work with some of the best people in the sport. I’m a better driver because of it.”
Even though Cindric did not clinch the driver’s championship at Phoenix, his finish did reward his Mooresville, N.C.-based team with the NASCAR Xfinity Series owners championship.
“That’s certainly poetic,” Cindric sounded. “Obviously this 22 car has won so many Owners’ Championships over the years with so many great drivers.
“My first race in the 22 car was in 2017, they won the Owners’ Championship then. I guess I get to close that one out as ironic as that might be.”
Cindric will graduate to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time in 2022 driving the No. 2 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, but Cindric quickly reflected on his four year and 133-race tenure.
“I think it has defined me as a driver in the sport,” Cindric explained. “I mean that in a lot of ways. I’ve shown up not knowing much about what I have been doing.
“From there, I have driven so many different types of cars and bring all those experiences and probably the most unique situation as possible as far as a competitor and what other drivers might expect from me. I have had to mature a lot and I have had to go from not being respected to where I feel like I am respected and it has been a fun journey. I am very appreciative of it.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
