If Josh Berry’s car turning into a barbecue wasn’t enough, Austin Cindric decided to throw another log on the fire—literally at Bristol Saturday night. With fewer than 50 laps to go, his Ford caught fire in a scene that looked ripped straight from Berry’s earlier demise. The cockpit filled with smoke, Cindric scrambled to pit road, and suddenly the No. 2 team’s entire Playoff life was on the line.
On the track at the same time, Brad Keselowski was leading, Alex Bowman was hanging on in fourth and praying to the racing gods, and Chase Elliott found himself back in with a mathematical sliver of hope. Cindric’s misfortune was the hinge that swung the Playoff door open and shut in real time.
Somehow, Cindric’s crew managed to douse the flames, patch up the damage, and only lose five laps. In Bristol terms, that’s the equivalent of dropping your ice cream cone, catching it before it hits the ground, and still eating it. Messy, but still dessert.
“It’s not ideal,” Cindric admitted with a shrug. “I had the fire there, and definitely held a lot of smoke, but huge credit to my guys to be prepared for a situation like that and to only lose five laps. We had a great car tonight, and with the long run speed, I’m not sure I’d have told you that was going to be the game at the start of the day. Just proud of the effort, and a well-earned Sunday off for the 2 car.”
For Cindric, the night was a carnival ride: lead laps, smell smoke, climb out of a burning car, climb back into the Playoffs with a 30th place finish. That’s Bristol’s special brand of lunacy.
Asked how he managed the chaos, Cindric grinned.
“Try and keep my head above water and hold my breath when I’m under it, so moving on.”
It’s the kind of line that only makes sense in this sport—because most of us would’ve been on the phone with our insurance adjuster, not planning the next round of the Playoffs.
And Cindric is thinking about the next round. For a driver who’s taken his share of lumps since moving into the Cup Series, this felt like a statement that he’s finally finding his footing.
“Great things, man,” he said when asked about the Round of 12. “I believe in this team. I believe in myself. I have not been driving as well as I am now in the Cup Series. It’s been a constant climb, and those around me reflect that.”
So, the No. 2 lives to fight another day—singed, smoky, and slightly roasted, but still alive. Bristol tried to burn Cindric out of the Playoffs, but instead it may have lit a fire under him.
Greg was a writer for DriveTribe supporting Amazon's The Grand Tour and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, and a Masters degree in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek and a regular contributor to Forbes.
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