INDIANAPOLIS — Austin Cindric took the lead early in the third stage at Indianapolis and held on Saturday for his NASCAR Xfinity Series-leading sixth victory of the season.
He beat pole-winner AJ Allmendinger by 2.108 seconds. Justin Haley was third.
This was Cindric's first victory at the Brickyard — and the second straight in 3 1/2 hours for Team Penske.
He celebrated winning the Pennzoil 150 for NASCAR’s Xfinity Series by singing “Back Home Again in Indiana” on his cooldown lap.
“I can’t even put into words what it means to win at the Brickyard,” said Cindric. “I didn’t even know I knew the words [to the iconic pre-race song] that well … or remembered them that well.”
After his win, Cindric got a chance to kiss the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was a moment that was extra special for Cindric, who arguably has the deepest IMS roots of any driver to have ever won a race at IMS.
Cindric has attended 20 of the past 21 Indy 500 races as a son of Team Penske president Tim Cindric. His grandfathers were both involved with the Indy 500 and his maternal grandfather, Jim Trueman, was the car owner of Bobby Rahal's Indy-winning car in 1986. Plus, Tim Cindric's father, Carl Cindric, was a longtime engine builder.
Cindric's victory came a few hours after Will Power, who's also part of Team Penske, won the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix at IMS.
It was Power's 40th career win, his first win this IndyCar season and Penske's second IndyCar win this season.
IndyCar Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix and Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Cindric will try to make it three in a row when the Verizon Brickyard 200 is held on the same course Sunday.
