TICKFORD Racing wildcard Austin Cindric has a pretty damn handy resource in his corner as he prepares to make his Repco Supercars Championship debut next week.
That is, the insights of three-time Supercars champion and Team Penske stablemate Scott McLaughlin.
Cindric races for Penske in the NASCAR Cup Series; McLaughlin does so in IndyCar, having left Supercars at the end of 2020 following four mega seasons for DJR Team Penske in Australia.
Cindric landed Down Under late last week and today turned his first laps in the Gen3 Mustang he’ll race around the streets of Adelaide.
“He has texted me every single day,” the 27-year-old told V8 Sleuth. “I think he is as excited about this as much as I am.
“He has been really cool, I’ve quizzed him a ton on Adelaide…
“He’s like ‘man, I’m going to stay up and watch the race, text me after every session. If they let you send me data, send me data, I want to help as much as I can’.
“That’s been really cool. Scott is a great teammate, he’s a great mate. He’s a good dude.”
Cindric also credited NASCAR peer Shane van Gisbergen – another three-time Supercars champion – for his willingness to help.
While the American has long kept an eye on Supercars, as evidenced by him having sampled Aussie V8s in the mid-2010s, he agreed that SVG has made the NASCAR scene take notice.
Austin Cindric. Pic: Mark Walker
“I think the fact that he is kicking everybody’s arse on road courses makes them more aware of Supercars. That’s the bottom line,” he said.
“I have been aware of the championship my whole life and have been a big fan, but within our industry I think you take awareness any time you’re getting beat.
“The way NASCAR works, until you get beat, you don’t change your ways. You only change your ways when you start getting beat.
“It’s a bit reactionary in that sense, but I’ve wanted to do this for a long time and it’s cool that it has worked out that way.
“The series, the categories, the philosophies of the championships have never been more aligned than they are now.”