While Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe had what most would consider a solid day with top-10 finishes at the Charlotte Roval, it was challenging for them in many aspects.
Cindric was decent throughout most of the race, many times following right behind the leader and at one point, beating Briscoe off pit road to have better position for the restart. Toward the end of race, however, more and more cautions began to fall and that would limit Cindric from trying to take the win. The No. 22 Money Lion Ford came home third after starting third.
“I think in the end if that last caution wouldn’t have come out, for whatever reason, I broke a right rear shock mount and my right rear shock was gone for the last three or four laps of the race,” Cindric explained to PRN Radio. “I’m glad we didn’t wreck, I’m glad we finished third. It’s just frustrating when you come down to all that and you get a good restart, and it fades away. All in all, it was a good points day and you got to keep pushing this way. We just want some more points.”
Cindric is +50 above the cut line and fourth in the playoff points standings.
In what looked like a possible repeat of last year’s race at the Roval, Chase Briscoe and his No. 98 team had to settle for a disappointing ninth-place finish after having a few runs in with Christopher Bell, including getting turned around by Bell on Lap 59 in Turn 2.
“I felt like I was the best car all day long,” Briscoe said to PRN Radio. “With 10 to go, AJ (Allmendinger) was getting a pretty good lead. Once I caught Bell, I caught him from half a straightaway. Down here in (Turns) 16 and 17 was my best passing zone, where I have been the strongest all day. So I tried to take advantage of it, but once I turned to the right and out braked him at that point, I was committed. I can’t slow it down anymore. I was trying to whoa it up as much as I can, just because I had to try to make the next corner, anybody on my left side wasn’t going to make that next corner.”
“It’s unfortunate, we both had really good racecars and we both don’t have good finishes to show for it. I hadn’t seen a replay of it, so I don’t know. It’s a lot different when you’re sitting in a racecar and get a outside view of it. I don’t want to say too much because if it’s 100 percent my fault, I’ll take blame for it. I feel like through 1 and 2, I gave him plenty of room and I felt like I just got tagged. I just want to see a replay for sure.”
Briscoe qualified on the pole, led 21 laps, won Stage 1 and finished second in Stage 2. He heads to Dover, +35 above the cut line in the sixth position.
