Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Race: Alsco 300
Date: May 25, 2020
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No. 22 Snap-on Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 6th
Stage 1: 6th
Stage 2: 4th
Finish: 3rd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 203/203
Laps Led: 30
Point Standings (behind first): 2nd (-8)
Notes:
Austin Cindric nearly scored the win in the Alsco 300 Monday evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway, leading 30 laps and scoring a third-place finish. The result was Cindric’s best at the 1.5-mile oval and his fifth-straight top-10 finish this season. The driver of the No. 22 Snap-on Ford Mustang moves from third to second-place in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings, only eight markers behind leader Chase Briscoe.
Cindric started the 200-lap, 300-mile race in the sixth position after the lineup was set per random draw. Despite four cautions early, throughout the first 45-lap stage, Cindric’s Snap-on Ford fired off free. He ended the stage in sixth position. Crew chief Brian Wilson called Cindric to pit on lap 48 for four tires, fuel, and adjustments to aid the handling of his Mustang and restarted sixth when the race went back green on lap 52.
Stage 2 was uneventful for the Mooresville, N.C. native. The 45-lap segment ran caution free and Cindric, who ran inside the top-five throughout the stage, was credited with a fourth-place finish at the end of the stage on lap 90.
Cindric restarted the final stage from the third position and ran there until the green-flag pit cycle began. Shortly after completing his green flag stop on lap 148, the caution waived, cycling Cindric to the race lead with just 30 laps remaining. After a series of cautions resulting in overtime, Cindric lined up second, jumping to the race lead following a great restart. Cindric put on an impressive battle with NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Kyle Busch, but respectfully finished the 200-lap event in third coming to the checkered flag.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series is back in action May 30 at Bristol Motor Speedway at 3:30 p.m. with live coverage on FS1 and PRN.
Quote: “I am really proud of this team. I think we had a lot of opportunities to win the race tonight. If it goes green on a number of occasions I think the Snap-on Ford Mustang is the winner tonight. It just didn’t work out for us. I was on older tires and everyone else on older tires ended up crashing. It is hard to beat the best in the business on older tires. I got a great push from Daniel. I am shocked the restart zone went as well as it did. That was a big struggle for me all night. I knew I was going to have to defend in three and four and took the top in one and two. He just had way more grip than I did. The heat cycles were killer. I never lifted driving into three. I just gave up second but didn’t really care at that point. I just wanted to win the race. Overall it was a great night and I am really proud of my team. I came here with something that we have never come to the race track with. We had to work on it all night. It shows the strength of the team and I am really proud of the effort.”
