In the high-stakes world of NASCAR, a few drivers refuse to settle for just conquering the Cup Series ovals. They chase the ultimate tests, like the grueling Indy 500-Coca-Cola 600 double that demands 1,100 miles of racing across two tracks in one day. Roger Penske’s rising talent, Austin Cindric, fits right in, he’s sitting 12th in the playoffs with an 11-point cushion above the cutline after scraping 18 points at Gateway. That narrow edge keeps the pressure on, but for Cindric, true success goes beyond a single checkered flag; it’s about the legacy that follows.

This infamous “Double” has tempted legends for decades, pitting open-wheel precision against stock car endurance on the same Sunday in May. Tony Stewart stands alone as the only driver to finish both races without losing a lap, pulling it off back in 2001, over two decades ago now. Kyle Larson pushed the envelope again this year in 2025, battling weather and logistics to cover those miles. Yet, with the playoffs heating up and Cindric’s spot hanging by a thread, his recent musings on tackling this beast add a fresh twist to the conversation.

Austin Cindric’s double dreams take shape amid playoff pressure

During a candid chat on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Austin Cindric didn’t hold back on his long-held fascination with the Indy 500-Coca-Cola 600 double. The Team Penske driver, whose family ties run deep in IndyCar circles, and his father, Tim, strategized Josef Newgarden’s 2023 Indy 500 win. They see the 500 as a missing piece in his racing puzzle. “Absolutely,” Cindric said when asked if he’d ever chase the double. “Not in a rush to go do it, but my family has a pretty long history with that race, and I see my racing career as incomplete without ever doing the 500.” It’s a bold admission from a 26-year-old who’s already notched a Daytona 500 victory in 2022 and a Talladega win this season, proving he’s no stranger to high-pressure finishes.

What makes this plot truly ambitious isn’t just the sheer distance or the cross-country scramble from Indianapolis to Charlotte; it’s the timing. Cindric‘s sitting on that slim +11 playoff buffer, where every lap counts toward survival, yet he’s eyeing a challenge that could derail a championship run if mishandled. And logistically, it’s a nightmare: helicopters, private jets, and maybe even rain delays, as Larson learned the hard way this May when storms nearly derailed his bid. But Cindric’s enthusiasm shines through.

“But yeah, doing the double, obviously logistically, pretty challenging,” he noted. “And it’s been cool to see kind of the path that Kyle has kind of trailblazed the last couple of years and how difficult it would be to do it. And two, what all goes into it, but also the excitement behind it.” His words capture the thrill that hooks fans and drivers alike, turning a brutal endeavor into motorsport’s holy grail.

The real confession drops when Cindric flips the script on crossovers, suggesting the double hits harder for IndyCar aces than NASCAR regulars. He respects the oval maestros but points to preparation gaps as the equalizer. “I think it would be much,” he began, before clarifying without a hint of arrogance, “I’m not saying this in a way that is maybe disrespectful towards, like, IndyCar drivers, but I feel like it would be much more difficult to be an IndyCar driver and come just because of the lack of testing and lack of preparation that you would need to expect to go out and run well or at least even know what’s going on or represent yourself well, whereas in NASCAR, you know, we could practice and so on to be able to kind of get, get lined up.”

Backed by history, only a handful of drivers, like John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, Kurt Busch, and more recently Kyle Larson, have even started both races in a single day. This take underscores why Cindric’s NASCAR roots give him an edge. It’s not bravado; it’s a nod to the series’ testing edge, where drivers like him log miles in practice that open-wheelers rarely get outside race weekends. With Penske’s resources spanning both worlds, Cindric’s vision feels less like a pipe dream and more like a calculated strike.

As Cindric balances playoff survival with these grand ambitions, his gaze is already shifting to another international frontier that could cap off his year in style.

Cindric set for supercars debut in Australia

Fresh off the playoff grind, Austin Cindric is packing his bags for a post-season thrill ride in the Australian Supercars Championship. The Penske driver will join Tickford Racing for the Adelaide 500, the series finale set for late November, right after NASCAR’s title fight at Phoenix. This marks his return to Down Under racing after a decade away, building on past stints like the Bathurst 12 Hour. Ford’s backing makes it seamless, linking his Mustang muscle to Tickford’s Mustang GT machines.

Cindric reflected on how close he came to going full-time in Supercars as a young talent. “There’s a certain point in time in my career that it (racing in Supercars) was a legitimate consideration to go race full time. Whether it be Super Two (the minor leagues) or something else,” he shared. “Obviously, they’ve done a great job with that series in producing great drivers. So as a younger driver, it was something I really looked at pretty heavily.”

That early intrigue, fueled by Supercars’ rep for churning out stars like Shane van Gisbergen, who’s now tearing up NASCAR, kept Cindric hooked. He’s maintained ties through events and friendships, turning this one-off into a potential gateway for more. At 26, with a Cup win under his belt and playoffs on the line, dipping into Australia’s V8 showdown adds layers to his versatile resume, showing he’s built for global tracks.

The Adelaide street circuit’s tight, unforgiving layout will test Cindric against a stacked field, but he’s all in. “I’ve always kind of kept a pulse on it. I did some racing down there in the past, with the Bathurst 12 Hour, and I have a lot of great relationships there. It’s really cool to see it all come full circle,” Cindric said. “Obviously, I wouldn’t be able to do it without the help and connection from Ford, with all the guys at Tickford (the Supercars team he’ll be racing for overseas), and kind of just piecing things together to see if it is all possible.”

He views it as more than a joyride: “All in all, it’s going to be a super fun adventure. It’s something that I look at as a great opportunity to hopefully do more races than just the one. And I want to do well and represent myself as well as possible.” With Supercars’ fierce competition and Adelaide’s tricky corners, Cindric is aiming to learn fast and stack up well, perhaps sparking a trans-Pacific rivalry.