Driving for Team Penske, Austin Cindric delivered the team’s first win of 2025, while also registering his third career cup series win. The milestone also marked a significant achievement for Roush Yates Engines, who earned their 200th points finish in the Cup Series since their inception in 2004.
The win for Cindric and Team Penske didn’t come easy, as they had to wait until the 10th race of the season to take the top step of the podium. And according to Brian Wilson, it was all down to one ingredient completing their recipe for victory.
Crew Chief Brian Wilson Hails Austin Cindric’s Information Retention
There was tension inside the Team Penske camp, given the start to life they had made in the 2025 season. Their IndyCar team has gone winless in their first three events this season, and on the NASCAR side of things, the team hadn’t visited the top of the podium in nine races.
However, Cindric took it upon himself to bring relief to the camp as he took home the checkered flag after the Jack Link’s 500. A fast pit stop in the final stage put him in contention for a win, and the 26-year-old did not disappoint.
Reacting to Cindric’s outing after the race, crew chief Wilson detailed the one trait that set him apart. Driving for a data-driven team, Cindric has the ability to retain most of the information he’s provided, making him a perfect fit.
“He’s the type of guy that he takes all information in, he really retains it, he wants to study it. I think the type of driver he is really fits the way that Team Penske operates.”
Wilson added, “We’re data-driven really. We love to provide things for him to be able to study. I think he’s really done a great job applying it.”
Team Penske Disappoints
Cindric proved to be a shining star in what was an otherwise frustrating outing for Team Penske. Ryan Blaney’s race came to a premature end after he got collected in an early wreck, leaving only two cars running for the team.
Joey Logano would go on to finish the race in P5 before his car would fail a post-race inspection with a bolt coming loose on his rear spoiler.
Logano’s frustrations were already running high after teammate Cindric helped Bubba Wallace win Stage 2 rather than trying to win it for himself or help Logano. He went on an expletive rant as Cindric clarified he had to make the move to avoid wrecking Logano and others.
With this win, Cindric now sits in P15 in the drivers’ standings in the Cup Series. The positioning includes a 50-point penalty he received for spinning Ty Dillon earlier this year. Had he not been penalized, Cindric would have been running P10.