“I’ve been a fan of the Supercars Championship since I was a kid. I’ve always rated the drivers and teams in the category highly,” Austin Cindric said as he prepared for the next chapter that would test him in every possible way. But what was supposed to be a long-awaited bucket-list debut down under quickly turned into a chaotic, rain-soaked initiation. At the end of the day, it forced the Team Penske NASCAR star to adapt, survive, and learn on the fly.

Austin Cindric’s wild wet weekend

Austin Cindric’s long-anticipated Supercars debut in the #5 Ford Performance Racing Mustang didn’t just arrive with pressure. Instead, it arrived with a downpour. And he summed it up with a shrug and a grin.

“My first Supercars race is wet. You want me to expand on that? I think that’s kind of the extent of it. I didn’t finish last, but obviously a lot is going on.”

Following a brief delay due to incessant downpour, the lights went out for the Adelaide Grand Final under gloomy skies. However, the rain never stopped, turning the race into a wet sprint. Thomas Randle aquaplaned into the wall at Turn 8 on lap 19, which led to the race eventually being red-flagged and never to be started again.

Cindric was running 23rd of the 25 entries when the red flag ultimately froze the field, locking everyone into their positions at the moment the race was halted. Race officials later declared those standings official. This meant that Brodie Kostecki, who had been leading when the stoppage occurred, was awarded the victory.

“Today was a good day to really learn, but I wanna keep exploring throughout the weekend. I would say I’m mildly satisfied with today, but yeah will keep improving,” Austin Cindric shared his experience.

Two-time Supercars runner-up and Tickford stablemate Cam Waters, who also raced with Cindric, had some words of praise for him.

With two more races left in the weekend, the goal for Cindric wasn’t trophies. Instead, it was progress. But, looking at the way things panned out, we doubt Cindric hardly got even that.

Saturday’s schedule picks back up with Boost Mobile Qualifying at 10:05 a.m. local time (10:35 a.m. AEDT), followed by the Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout at 12:35 p.m. local (1:05 p.m. AEDT). The day wraps with the 78-lap Race 33, set to go green at 3:20 p.m. local time (3:50 p.m. AEDT).

Cindric receives praise from Supercars legends

If Austin Cindric entered Adelaide with people questioning whether a NASCAR star could really adapt to the fast, flowing rhythm of Supercars, he quickly gave them something to reconsider. His choice to test previously at The Bend Motorsport Park had drawn raised eyebrows from some in the paddock, but once he got his first real taste of the Adelaide Parklands Circuit, the 2020 Xfinity Series champion showed he was far from out of his depth.

No one saw that more clearly than Tickford Racing teammate Cam Waters, who topped the charts on Friday and finished the day 1.1 seconds ahead of Cindric. Waters was quick to celebrate the American’s measured and methodical debut.

“I think it’s an awesome start for him, obviously, he had a plan that he had to stick to in that session, and he did that,” Waters said. “I think the great thing for him this weekend is that he’s got multiple sessions to build up to it, go through data, get back in the car.

That sentiment was echoed by Supercars royalty Mark Skaife and Garth Tander. Skaife, a five-time champion and Hall of Famer, pointed out that Cindric’s P23 result was even more respectable considering the team didn’t bolt on a fresh set of tyres for a late-session time attack.

“Great job. For him to end up 23rd with a 20.7, they didn’t put an extra set of tyres on,” Skaife said. “He was a second away from the fastest guy, but without a set of tyres. That is a really credible performance; that is an excellent job.”

Tander, fresh off announcing his retirement after earning his sixth Bathurst 1000 win, wasn’t shocked either. He had already seen the speed.

“I followed Austin on the Monday at Sandown, after the ride day. It was about half an hour of running, so he was pretty new to the car, new to the track, and he was on it straight away. I followed him for a couple of laps, and he let me past, and then I went and had a chat to him about the kerb usage and being more aggressive with the kerbs, because that’s the sort of thing you need to do here at Adelaide,” Tander said.

For a wildcard, Cindric’s calm approach and quick adaptability are turning heads and setting the stage for an even more intriguing weekend.