30 Days to Daytona: Team Penske #2

Rounding out the trio of Team Penske drivers in this Days to Daytona countdown is Austin Cindric. Off the back of his second playoff appearance, Cindric will enter 2025 with higher expectations. After team Penske has swept the NextGen championships, maybe it is Cindric’s turn to hoist that trophy. As a previous Daytona 500 winner, Austin Cindric and the Team Penske #2 team surely cannot wait for the remaining 30 Days to Daytona.

The #2 Team

Days to Daytona: Team Penske #2 - The Team — Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Driver: Austin Cindric

Crew Chief: Brian Wilson

Sponsors: Menards, Discount Tire, Keystone Light

2024 Statistics: 1 Win, 4 Top-5s, 7 Top-10s, 256 Laps Led, 19.9 Average Finish

2025 Season Preview

Cindric Wilson — Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Needing a Step Up

Despite Austin Cindric making the playoffs twice in his short Cup career, there is a bit of disappointment with how well he has performed in his three seasons. Granted, no one expected him to be outrunning either of his teammates. However, there is still a sizable gap between Joey Logano/Ryan Blaney and Cindric. 2024 was a positive step, as he outdid his sophomore slump season. Yet, it was still worse than his rookie season in every statistic except laps led and points finish. Without a somewhat fluke win at Gateway, the improvement in points would not have occurred.

Potential Hot Seat

During last season’s silly season, the 2 car from Team Penske was mentioned in the occasional rumor. Prior to his Gateway win, there were theories that Ford/Penske would attempt to keep Chase Briscoe with the manufacturer by putting him in the 2. Meanwhile, Cindric would be booted to the 21 of the Wood Brothers. Ultimately, that did not occur. There is some speculation that due his father’s status at Team Penske, Cindric is fireproof. However, the little bit of smoke from last year’s silly season could prove that speculation wrong. If Cindric again struggles to find himself at the front of the field, maybe there is consideration of putting someone else in the iconic #2 of Team Penske.

Dark Horse Playoff Contender

If Austin Cindric finds his way back into the playoffs, the schedule could line up nicely for the young driver. Obviously, Team Penske has taken full advantage of the current format to win three straight championships. Cindric has experienced some of that success, advancing to the Round of 12 both times. However, this season sees New Hampshire and Gateway enter the playoffs. Plus, Talladega moves from the Round of 12 to the Round of 8. Cindric could play spoiler at those tracks, punching his ticket the Championship Four. As long as he avoids his teammate at Talladega, Cindric could be a great underdog pick.

Daytona 500 Outlook

Days to Daytona: Team Penske #2 - Austin Cindric — Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Austin Cindric has the superspeedway racing figured out in the NextGen car. Consistently, he finds his way to the front and leads laps. Plus, Cindric picks up stage wins across the three superspeedways. Those stage points help soften the damage that usually comes when Cindric inevitably finds his way into an incident. Last fall at Talladega is the perfect example. Daytona has been a similar story for Cindric as well. Since winning the Daytona 500, Cindric has only managed 2 lead lap finishes.

Speed and ability are not going to be a problem for Austin Cindric at Daytona. He has proven himself a strong driver on those high banks. Luck and wreck avoidance have been the 2 team’s downfall. Granted, it is difficult to avoid the wreck when usually his car starts it (his fault or not). As with the other Team Penske entries, expect a strong qualifying effort 30 days from now. That should lead to a solid performance in his duel race. Will being upfront help Cindric return to Daytona’s victory lane? Probably not, but his name should be one that pops up when discussing favorites for the Great American Race.