Rookie Austin Cindric Wins Daytona 500 in Overtime Shootout to Capture First Cup Series Victory

The 23-year-old survived a chaotic race to claim victory in the 2022 season opener.

Rookie Austin Cindric won the 2022 Daytona 500 in a dramatic overtime shootout to capture his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in just his eighth career start. 

Driving for Team Penske in “The Great American Race” for the second time, Cindric survived a crash-heavy race in front of a packed house at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday. He narrowly edge out Bubba Wallace at the finish line to lock up the first win of the 2022 season.

WHAT. A. FINISH. 🏁

Congrats, Austin Cindric! #DAYTONA500

(via @NASCAR) pic.twitter.com/77KuyXSsdF

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 20, 2022

Cindric began the two-lap overtime shootout as the leader following a late crash involving Ricky Stenhouse Jr. After the restart, Cindric stayed out in front, fending off moves on the final turn by teammate Ryan Blaney and 23XI Racing’s Wallace to get across the finish line first.

At 23 years and 212 days old, he becomes the second-youngest driver to win the event, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Trevor Bayne is the youngest, having won the race at 20 years and one day old back in 2011.

Cindric is in his first full year driving for Team Penske on the NASCAR Cup Series after spending the last five years predominantly on the Xfinity Series. He won the Xfinity championship in 2020 before narrowly losing the title in 2021.