“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 makes his debut in a new motorsports series down under. The NASCAR star is set to participate in the BP Adelaide Grand Final at the end of the month as a wildcard entry.

And he’s leaving no stone unturned. Just days ago, a video surfaced of Cindric turning his first laps in a Gen3 Supercar, trying to master the ‘heel and toe’ technique used by fellow Supercar drivers. This shows that for Cindric, this isn’t a vacation drive or a PR stunt. This is a driver fully immersing himself in a different racing culture. And what he sees in this exchange says a lot about the future of NASCAR, Supercars, and cross-series competition as a whole.

Austin Cindric explains why crossovers matter more than ever

Austin Cindric isn’t going to pretend he’s going to outpace Will Brown or take over the field on this journey to Adelaide. It’s about something more significant: crossover culture, which the entire motorsports industry has been subtly embracing. As Cindric himself emphasized on the Apex Hunters United podcast, “I’m here to get the experience, get some awareness for the series. Anytime you can have crossover in motorsports, it’s so much fun.”

He makes a valid point! Cross-discipline participation infuses racing communities with energy and new stories. Cindric gave well-known examples. For instance, Fernando Alonso’s participation in Le Mans brought Formula 1 fans into endurance racing. Similarly, Kyle Larson’s Indy 500 performances enthralled NASCAR and IndyCar fans alike. The 2025 Indy 500, which saw Larson participate, pulled in the best TV ratings since 2008 – an astounding 7 million+ viewers!

Now, with Austin Cindric’s participation, NASCAR fans who’ve never watched Supercars suddenly have a reason to care. The same thing happens in reverse. Just look at what Shane van Gisbergen brought with him the second he stepped into NASCAR. His success is a major talking point in the Australian Supercars community, with some fans tuning in to NASCAR specifically to follow his progress. News of his wins, such as the Mexico City victory, garnered widespread media coverage in Australia, helping attract new fans.

That’s the ripple effect Cindric’s talking about: drivers don’t just bring skill, they bring awareness and audiences. Cindric concluded, “I’m as competitive as they come. But I’m here for the experience for sure.” It’s not about showcasing his superiority. The goal is to demonstrate that racing can transcend regulatory agencies and silos. The true advantage is that each crossover widens the track, making motorsports more international, cohesive, and interconnected than ever before.

Cindric compares Supercars to the NASCAR Next-Gen car

Austin Cindric is learning a completely different beast rather than just a new track as he logs laps in Australia. Although NASCAR’s Next Gen vehicle and the Gen3 Supercars Mustang have comparable DNA, the similarities end there once you’re seated. And Cindric is getting a firsthand education of that.

The 2022 Daytona 500 winner, driving for Tickford Racing for the event, is currently getting used to a new weight balance, a right-hand drive cockpit, a different braking feel, and a new steering reaction. It’s a lot to take in. Particularly if you’ve been turning left from the other side of the automobile your entire career.

“I think in a lot of ways, quite a bit of what I expected. It’s good to feel it out and kind of put everything that I’ve done prep work-wise, have a feel for it, and really put some relevancy behind some of the questions that I may or may not have, work on some of the techniques. I think I’m at that point where you’re trying to work out best practices,” Cindric explained.

But here’s the headline: Cindric says the Supercars Mustang straight-up drives better. The car provides him more confidence because of its reduced weight, more downforce, and grippier tires, particularly when braking and entering corners. The Next Gen is simply constructed differently; it’s not inherently flawed.

“It [Supercars] drives a lot better. The current generation Cup car is a lot more rigid. Like, I’ve really had to talk myself into using the curb as much as I can with this car,” Cindric compared the two. And that makes sense. The Next Gen is a race car’s Swiss Army knife, designed to tackle everything from Chicago’s street circuit to superspeedways. The Gen3 is a scalpel designed specifically for street and road racing.

At the end of it all, Cindric’s learning curve is steep. But he’s loving every second of it!