Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Ford Performance Media Availability | Tuesday, February 16, 2021
AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Verizon 5G Ford Mustang — WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF AS A CUP RACER IN YOUR SUPERSPEEDWAY DEBUT?
“There are a lot of things that went really well in the 500 for me. One of those being staying in the game all day, running up front and not getting in any incidents or having any penalties. The big picture things, the rookie mistakes. What took us out what probably miscommunication on pit road as far as when to leave the box. Otherwise, we would have been in front or behind the 34 with our teammates and would have had a better chance at avoiding the wreck and being up front in the end. Whether that was helping our teammates or being there to pick up what was left. Either way, I am a competitor so I am frustrated by the missed opportunities but for me it is a first step of establishing myself amongst those drivers. Obviously, speedway racing is a much different discipline than a lot of the other race tracks we go to. I definitely know I have a lot more to learn and I am excited for the next opportunity to drive the 33 car, wherever that track may be and try to keep building that momentum moving forward.”
DID YOU GET ANY GOOD FEEDBACK FROM YOUR PENSKE TEAMMATES?
“I talked to Joey (Logano) on Monday morning. I led some laps there and we were in a tandem for awhile and that was the first time I have ever done that. Having Joey lift my rear wheels off the ground for two laps straight was pretty crazy. Leading my first laps in the Daytona 500 — I definitely wanted his feedback as far as things to do better and things we could work on moving forward. He is really positive and really strong at that discipline of racing. It is great to have guys to lean on. I haven’t had teammates in a few years so to have guys to bounce ideas off of but also in a application where we can work together and make ourselves stronger as an organization it is a great tool to have.”
HAVE YOU HEARD YET WHAT NASCAR IS DOING AS FAR AS ANY CHANGES TO THE ROAD COURSE AFTER THE MUD ISSUES IN THE TRACK? ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGED?
“It is a question that I had after watching the Clash. Obviously, they had the 24 there a couple of weeks prior and didn’t seem to have the same types of issues. I know there were a lot of races that happened and a lot of that stuff gets pulled up. I am sure Chip (Wilde) and his guys at the track have identified that as an issue. My hope is that it is done because obviously, we haven’t had that issue in the past. It definitely played a role in that race. I am hoping there are no issues with it going forward.”
ANY IDEAS WHY THE CUP CARS WOULD DO THAT AND THE SPORTS CARS DON’T?
“I don’t think it is a difference in the cars. I don’t know much about the earth but I would imagine that it just didn’t get packed back in very well or enough after the Daytona 24. That would be my assumption. Other than a lot of rain and weather that I guess you would have a lot in the summer, but either way I think it could be improved.”
CAN YOU SUMMARIZE YOUR SPEEDWEEKS EXPERIENCE? ARE YOU SATISFIED THAT YOU CAME AWAY WITH A GOOD EXPERIENCE?
“Yeah, there is a lot to be satisfied about. We made the race by the skin of our teeth and it is the first time I have done double-duty at that level. For me, managing my priorities was very challenging. A lot of late nights and I definitely sacrificed some sleep for prep work and making sure I was prepared for the days ahead. I am glad that I did that. I think it paid dividends in the Duels and the Xfinity race and the 500. Winning the race on Saturday, the only negative to that is that it was really late by the time I got back to the hotel. I hadn’t had dinner and had hundreds of texts that I would normally be replying to, which I still am today. I turned my phone off and tried to study some stuff for the race on Sunday. That wasn’t overwhelming but it was definitely a lot. I enjoy that type of challenge. As far as the racing on Sunday, I am really impressed with the job — I don’t’ know if I should be, but I am — that is obviously the standard at Team Penske but the job that the 33 guys did. There are a lot of folks on that car that have two or more jobs in the organization and they definitely executed throughout the entirety of the weekend. If it is just one miscue on pit road, which was the worse time to have one, but look there is a lot to be proud of and lot to build off of moving forward. I thought Miles did a great job in his first role as a crew chief. I can definitely pinpoint a couple mistakes that I made during the weekend but probably a lot fewer than I thought I would have. Running up front in the Daytona 500, it is a bummer because you don’t get to do that every day. The Daytona 500 only happens once a year and there are a lot of guys and capable drivers. To find yourself running in the top-five for the majority of the event. We raced our way up there a lot of the time. I am proud of that effort. There are a lot of things for me to take away that are positive but at the end of the day we still came home with a tore up race car and hurt feelings all around. Not ideal, but definitely cool to have the Verizon 5G Ford Mustang up front in the Great American Race.”
HOW MUCH DOES YOUR CUP EXPERIENCE THUS FAR WET YOUR APPETITE?
“It gets me excited. I have checked the box on the speedways. I don’t see us running another one this year. That was a great experience for me. I am looking forward to getting a taste on the 1.5 mile and short tracks and the road courses to see where I can improve there and how I stack up in those races and how I can contribute to our effort in that series this year. I am very excited. It has given me a lot to think about but at the same time my priority is still in the Xfinity Series and I am ready to go to the road course this weekend and improve on what we did there last year and continue to try to get results.”
WHAT WERE THE MAIN POSITIVES YOU TOOK AWAY FROM YOUR CUP DEBUT?
“Other than the fact of just making the race, that was my main priority going into it. I don’t think I rewatched a single Daytona 500, I just watched Duels and relative things to that package and race format. I had more studying to do during the race weekend. It was really cool. It was cool to have all of that prep work come together and really make a difference. I hope that my ability to race around other guys in the race was handled well by my competitors. There are obviously a lot more different scenarios to be put in and obviously, I think there is a shortlist of mistakes from the weekend. I think that is the biggest positive. I can count on one hand the things I could have done better and past that I think I did a lot of the challenging things right, same as my team. There were a lot of things new to everyone and it is difficult with a part-time team. I think we really excelled in a lot of areas and I am proud of that.”
WHAT WAS YOUR TWEET BACK AND FORTH TODAY WITH KAZ GRALA? WHAT LED INTO TAKING THAT MEMORY PICTURE?
“I was so mad because I didn’t download the picture on my phone before the race weekend. I knew Kaz was entered in the event and we both had really good shots at making the race and we both made the final transfers. He and I were teammates racing bandoleros together and we have known each other and raced against each other forever. That was a cool moment for us. I tried to recreate the picture of us standing at the back of my bando at the summer shootout. I wasn’t quite accurate but I think you guys get the idea. We texted about it before I sent him the pictures. It is a good time. It is pretty cool to have that kind of come full circle and come that far. Obviously, he and I have a lot of work to do to stay at that level. It is definitely a cool experience and definitely something that I wanted to at least commemorate and have a part of that moment.”
HAVE YOU SEEN THE NETFLIX SHOW ‘THE CREW’ YET?
“I have not. I have heard all about it and heard it just got released. The commercial makes me laugh because I feel like Ryan (Blaney), the way he is portrayed in that short ad is exactly how Ryan Blaney is. I am so glad that they captured that. I really hope that it gives NASCAR fans something to sink their teeth into. Obviously, right now, a lot of the entertainment and content is through streaming and sitting at home and watching things in your pajamas on the couch because that is where most people are working from these days. Hopefully, that is another bit of a NASCAR release for fans as they wait on the races on the weekends.”
WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT FROM A DRIVER AND FAN STANDPOINT WHEN THIS SPORT MAKES THE MOVE TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES?
“As far as integration of electric vehicles or hybrid technologies, it is the way moving forward. I don’t think I have to be the one to say that. Whether I agree with it or don’t, I don’t know much about it and don’t think I have formulated an option to be honest. My Ford courtesy car this year is a Mustang Mach-E because I want to know what it is all about. I think it is cool and different and the way things are moving forward. Ford has done a great job to get out on the forefront of that. I want to learn more about it because there are some really cool things about the technology, performance-wise. Like you said, I got to drive the Mach-E 1400 and that was a pretty cool experience. It took me back to my rallycross days. I think it is a form of racing that can definitely benefit from the performance advantages of electric power. I am excited and open-minded to the concept. In its relation to NASCAR, I feel like that is quite a few years away.”
THE FINAL LAP SUNDAY NIGHT, WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND?
“I was lucky to catch back up to the pack. It was funny, I saw that Jamie McMurray and Corey LaJoie set the two fastest lap times of the race and I would have put a lot of money on that being us catching the pack at the end of the race. I was pushing those guys pretty hard to try to catch up. At the same time, If I am being 100-percent honest, once I knew I wasn’t going to be top-five anymore, I pretty much considered myself crashed, it just hadn’t happened yet. You know how these races play out. I was shocked at the lack of moves at the end of the race. I got a huge run and took it down the back straightaway with two to go and thinking that someone would move with two to go. Obviously, that didn’t happen. I didn’t lose a whole lot but tried to do the same thing on the last lap. Custer and I got linked up in tandem. I felt like we had a good shot at making it into the top-10. I pulled out from behind him entering turn 3 and there were wrecked race cars. I ran into Brad when he was up against the wall. There was a big fire. That was the first time I had been in a fire. I didn’t know if I was on fire or not. That was a bit unnerving to be honest. It was a big impact. I am fine. I was a little stiff and did some PT and have a massage later this afternoon and will be ready to go for this weekend. It is definitely one of the biggest moments I Have had inside a race car. I think there is a lot we can learn from all those impacts. NASCAR does a great job to keep the cars safe. The fire was the big thing for me. Not knowing if it was mine or inside my car. I tweeted after the race about fire being hot. I wasn’t trying to be a smart alek but it is amazing. Holy cow. The amount of heat that comes off that. We are lucky he only had two laps of fuel left. There are a lot of things to take away from it. Overall I am fine. It doesn’t discourage me from racing hard at the end and trying to make the most of things.”
HOW DOES YOUR MINDSET CHANGE FROM THE POMP OF THE SEASON OPENING WEEKEND AND NOW JUST SOLELY FOCUSING ON THIS WEEK AND THE REST OF THE SEASON?
“That is the mentality going into Daytona and every weekend moving forward for me. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that my mindset is title defense. It is making it to the final four. That may sound correct or incorrect but with the way the format is, you have to make it to Phoenix and then have your best day. That was my mindset last year and is my mindset this year. As far as going to the Daytona Road Course, one of my extracurricular goals for the year was to win on a superspeedway. To get that knocked out early was really satisfying. It is a different discipline. To be able to control the race, how we did and the speed in our car, I was really proud of that effort. We haven’t had that kind of speed at speedways in the past. It shows the effort my guys have put in during the off-season. We keep stepping up both individually and as a group. Nothing is guaranteed though, so it is back to work.”
HOW DID THE ROLEX 24 COMPARE TO THE 10-HOURS OF DAYTONA?
“My 800 miles of Daytona or whatever. It is different. I have obviously done long races before but I am usually sharing them with other drivers and there are a lot of different priorities. At the beginning of the race, I almost lost the draft trying to be conservative. I am glad I was that far back because we didn’t get collected. From there it was a mentality shift. You could see it in the pack. I probably got 40 total laps of racing the entire weekend between the Duels and the 500 just because of how much we ran single file by the wall because nobody wanted to be in the next wreck. That was interesting. Two completely different intensities and things you can do to set yourself apart in the Rolex 24 are more oriented on circulating and being efficient whereas in the 500 it is about being there at the right time.”
WITH THE FIRE SITUATION, DO YOU PRACTICE GETTING IN AND OUT OF A CAR QUICKLY IN CASE OF THAT SCENARIO?
“NASCAR makes us practice some of those things. I think Wayne Auten, our series director in Xfinity, is really hard on that stuff with making sure how to get out of the right side of the car whether it has a window or not. There are procedures in place for those things. At that moment, I didn’t know if it was my car or someone else’s car and all I knew is I saw fire. Everything slowed down a lot. I started unplugging my radio and air hose and getting to where the only thing left on was my window harness. I had my net down before I even came to a stop ready to get out. The only thing I probably could have done a better job of was telling my team I was okay because I was out of the car before they knew anything. I wouldn’t say my size has much to do with it. I can get in and out of the car just fine, but it is definitely one of those moments where you don’t know how you are going to react until it happens. Obviously, things were all fine.”
WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE PENSKE GUYS ARE SUPPOSED TO RACE EACH OTHER?
“That is a great question. That is obviously a burning topic. I am probably not the person to answer that. If I put myself at the front of the field. If we are a Penske 1-2-3, I know my job and my job going into the weekend was to make sure that one of us wins the race. Obviously, those guys were racing really hard. I don’t think you can fault anyone for trying to win the Daytona 500. I am not sure I have an opinion or stance because I am pretty torn in my own opinion. Either way, I know that it is a shame that we didn’t get one of our cars in victory lane because all three teams really executed so well throughout the race. There is a lot to be proud of there. It was definitely a quiet plane ride home.”
WAS THERE ANY CONVERSATION BEFORE THE RACE WITH HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO WITH THE PENSKE GUYS?
“We have team meetings. We have strategy meetings. I think we all understand what is at stake and how big an accomplishment winning the Daytona 500 is. I think there is a great understanding of what the expectations are. After the race, I haven’t been included in any of the discussions. I am not sure it is any of my business. If we can learn more out of it and be better moving forward, I think that is the main thing.”
HOW DID IT FEEL TO BE A PART OF THE DAYTONA 500 FOR THE FIRST TIME?
“It was definitely real to me coming to the green in the Duels. I had Larson in front of me. Ryan Newman behind me. I was surrounded by some of the best guys but you have to put that aside. After I won the race on Saturday I got a text from (Juan Pablo) Montoya and he said, ‘Just remember they are just drivers. They are not anyone special.’ Leave it to Juan to put it bluntly. In some ways it is true and if I can learn from those guys how to be a better driver and how to be a better competitor and lift my game up to help me on Saturday’s short term and prepare me long term it just makes me a better driver. I love those challenges. I love being around the best and trying to elevate myself to that position.”
DID THAT ACCIDENT ON SUNDAY LEAVE YOU WITH ANY CONCERN WITH HOW THE RACING IS ON SUNDAY’S AT SUPERSPEEDWAYS?
“It is a type of racing. We are in an entertainment sport, right? It is the biggest race of the year and the type of racing that fans really enjoy. As drivers, we know the risks when entering those races. The last 20 laps of the race I knew I was outside the top-five and had a really good shot at getting crashed. As a driver, between the really hard work that goes behind the scenes at Team Penske to make our cars safe and the work that gets put in by NASCAR’s folks behind the scenes, it gives you confidence as a driver that you can put yourself in position to try to go make something of the race, whether or not there will be an accident. It doesn’t leave me discouraged. The package right now is an aggressive package and that is really dynamic for the fans being able to see guys pushing and shoving. The hardest working guys are the first three cars. It is the same thing as our points system. To be the best guy you have to be pushing hard every single lap. I think it is great entertainment value and obviously pushes me to be as competitive as possible.”
WHAT IS YOUR CUP RACE AND WHEN WILL YOUR NEXT CUP RACE BE?
“We haven’t fully put that together. Some of the reasons behind that is that some of the races we are wanting to do are races without practice and qualifying so we don’t know if we are in those races until the entry lists come out. That is part of the reason why. Otherwise, it is still a little fluid. I want to get the experience and I think the intent on the team as well is to get me experience at intermediate, short tracks and road courses. As much as we can get done in the short schedule we have planned. That is why I haven’t said any race tracks because I don’t want to commit to anything knowing that some of it is out of our control. That is the intent. Hopefully, we are able to have plan A work but it is still a great opportunity nonetheless.”
