NASCAR
Austin Cindric Earns 5th Xfinity Win of 2021 on Indianapolis Road Course
SPEEDWAY, IN. – Only hours after Will Power won the IndyCar race on the Indianapolis Road Course, Austin Cindric kept the day Penske-Perfect. The defending Xfinity Series Champion led nearly half the laps on the Indy Road Course. Subsequently, this marks win number five of 2021 for the 22. At Roger Penske’s racetrack, ‘The Captain’ is 2-for-2 so far on this tripleheader weekend. Can Penske also remain perfect tomorrow?
Opening Lap Chaos
It did not take long for the Indy Road Course to strike, ruining several driver’s days. The initial run to turn one saw polesitter AJ Allmendinger run wide; therefore the lead went to teammate Justin Haley. Haley would lead lap one, but that lap would not finish under green. Many cars ran over a curb out of turn six, launching them airborne and also causing major carnage. After not even half a lap, Kevin Harvick, Brandon Jones, Preston Pardus, and Brandon Brown were all out. Heavy damage also afflicted Harrison Burton and others.
"They're all jumping that curb. Goodness gracious!"
The @NASCAR_Xfinity Series race at @IMS is underway on NBCSN.
Stream: https://t.co/cVaaFL8ofh pic.twitter.com/8YMPpABu7q
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 14, 2021
After a late caution in Stage 1, leader Justin Haley was set back on the restart. After restarting 10th, Haley ran second to Riley Herbst a lap later. Haley would get around the 98 for his fourth Stage win of 2021. Between Allmendinger and Haley, Kaulig Racing had arguably the two fastest cars in town.
Another Acrobatic Moment
Stage 2 also did not lack in excitement, as Kris Wright went airborne on a restart. Another restart saw the lead go from Austin Cindric to Noah Gragson to AJ Allmendinger all within a lap. The 16 of Allmendinger would win Stage 2 with teammate Haley right behind him, as this Stage ended under caution.
.@KrisOnNASCAR … 😱 pic.twitter.com/4uaJFfubDa
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) August 14, 2021
Ty Gibbs briefly held the lead, but Cindric motored around the 54 in the final Stage. In clean air, Cindric built up a lead too large for anyone to close. Even with slightly fresher tires however, neither Kaulig car could catch the 22. By two seconds, Austin Cindric took Penske to victory lane at Indianapolis for the second time in one day. This marks Cindric’s series-leading fifth checkered flag of 2021, as he continues to build up Playoff points.
Cindric’s Winning Reaction
“Unbelievable,” Cindric exclaimed. “First of all, I have to thank Roger Penske for every opportunity I have had in my career and every opportunity he has given you race fans to enjoy this beautiful weekend with three race series. How awesome is this facility now guys? It is amazing. I am so proud to be a part of this Penske family with PPG and Ford and everyone that has put so much into my career. This racetrack is so much deeper than just that with my family history and what this place means to me. I can’t even put into words what it means to win at Indianapolis.”
“There is nothing bigger, nothing bigger,” Cindric said on winning at Indy as a Penske driver.
Top 10 Results from the Indy Road Course
Behind the top trio of Cindric, Allmendinger, and Haley, Chase Elliott finished fourth in his substitution role for Michael Annett. Noah Gragson rounded out the top five, ahead of Austin Dillon, Myatt Snider, Riley Herbst, Harrison Burton, and Andy Lally.
Cindric, Allmendinger, Elliott, Dillon and also Lally will all run in tomorrow’s Cup race. After 62 laps of practice today, do any of them hold a winning advantage?
Playoff Bubble Changes
With Michael Annett forced to miss another race due to injury, he falls out of the top 12 in points. The new bubble position goes to Riley Herbst, who scored Stage points and also finished eighth. As a result. the 98 holds a slim 10-point gap over the 1 of Annett. Five regular season races remain in the Xfinity Series, with seven open Playoff spots.
Five races remain in the @NASCAR_Xfinity Series regular season.
With Michael Annett sitting out, Riley Herbst moves into a playoff spot. pic.twitter.com/f4Sc3fHqes
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 14, 2021
What’s Next in Xfinity
The next stop for the Xfinity Series will be Michigan International Speedway, for the New Holland 250. After not racing on the two-mile oval last year, the Xfinity Series returns to the Irish Hills. Coverage begins Saturday, August 21 at 3:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Can Austin Cindric keep his momentum up, or will Motor City see a new winner?
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images for NASCAR
