Cindric “received used up” by Larson, watches one other win slip by means of his fingers

The season has solely simply begun and Austin Cindric has discovered himself a tough behavior of being in the fitting place on the fallacious time. Sunday, the No. 2 Staff Penske Ford driver was main with simply 10 laps to go at Atlanta. Per week earlier, he was main the sphere to the white flag on the Daytona 500. However in each circumstances, he was swallowed out by a wreck he did not begin, and was denied a good shot at victory.

“It was unlucky. As a group, as Fords, we had the very best automobiles right here this weekend,” mentioned Cindric after being launched from the infield care heart. “We put ourselves into place to win the race and received used up and into the fence and didn’t win the race. It’s a disgrace. Two weeks in a row I really feel like we now have had the automotive to beat and haven’t finished it. A technique or one other it’s disappointing.”

At Daytona, Cindric was main the within lane when Cole Custer pinched the leaders, gathering Cindric and ending his likelihood of changing into a two-time winner of the Daytona 500. This weekend, he was ready to doubtlessly win but once more, when Kyle Larson made a daring transfer up the within, and began pushing up regardless of not being fully clear. Whereas Larson snatched the lead away, Cindric was moved up into the skin wall earlier than crashing into the within wall — ending any likelihood he had on the win or a good end.

“Yeah, just a bit little bit of a lazy sort of up the monitor,” mentioned Larson when requested concerning the incident. “He received there somewhat bit faster than I assumed he would. I assumed he was going to select me up on the exit at [Turn] two. Yeah, that was most likely my fault. I have not seen a replay, however I am certain that was my fault.”

It is particularly heart-wrenching for Cindric, who solely has two wins since changing into a full-time Cup driver in 2022. And but, he is led 106 laps between the primary two races of the 2025 season regardless of having little to point out for it. By comparability, he solely led 256 laps whole all of final yr.