Leaked NASCAR Wildcard Stuns Adelaide 500 Field as Kyle Busch & Kyle Larson Fade From Frame

The push to bring NASCAR’s biggest names into Australia’s Supercars championship has been a rocky road. In 2024, plans to insert Kyle Busch into the Adelaide 500 collapsed before the deal could be finalized. Just months later, Kyle Larson, backed by sponsors and event organizers, appeared all but locked in for the 2025 edition. But this year in June, Larson had a grueling Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double attempt. This led to a withdrawal, leaving fans and stakeholders questioning whether the vision of a NASCAR star racing on the streets of Adelaide would ever materialize. These back-to-back setbacks created a vacuum of uncertainty. However, according to a recent leak, one NASCAR name has truly put the “wild” in the “wildcard” entry for this year.

While Kyle Busch’s plan fell apart quietly, Larson’s exit stung. His global profile, paired with the spectacle of the Adelaide finale, was expected to lift Supercars into new territory. When he pulled out, the dream seemed dead. Doubts grew about whether Supercars could secure an American headliner at all. After all, the bp Adelaide Grand Final is Australia’s largest domestic motorsport event. Yet behind the scenes, conversations with Ford Performance and Australian powerhouse Tickford Racing continued. Those discussions have now delivered a development that promises to rewrite the narrative heading into November’s Grand Final.

Cindric steps in to beat Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson

According to 7News Adelaide and confirmed by Speedcafe, Austin Cindric will race in the 2025 Adelaide 500. He will be a wildcard for Tickford Racing, driving a third Ford Mustang. The 2022 Daytona 500 winner and full-time Team Penske driver becomes the first NASCAR Cup Series competitor officially linked to the Adelaide finale after two years of speculation. Supercars veteran Shane van Gisbergen had hinted at the move weeks earlier, telling at The Teardown podcast about Cindric’s practice during an ECU test. “He was heel-toe downshifting and everything,” van Gisbergen noted, pointing to the meticulous preparation required for a Supercars drive.

Cindric’s pathway to this moment has been years in the making. He previously tested with DJR Team Penske and Matt Stone Racing. Cindric nearly contested a Super2 race at Newcastle in 2017. In a recent interview, he admitted he had “always kept a pulse on” the opportunity to compete in Supercars. This highlighted his long-standing interest in Australia’s touring car scene. For Tickford Racing, the wildcard strengthens its ties with Ford and builds on CEO Simon Brookhouse’s comments last month. The comments spoke about how NASCAR’s presence would “help open the door for Toyota and Chevrolet drivers down the road.”

With NASCAR races consistently drawing over two million viewers in the U.S.. South Australian officials view Cindric’s entry as a chance to attract international attention to their crown jewel event.

The implications stretch beyond one November weekend. Cindric’s wildcard over Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson marks a new chapter in the growing exchange between NASCAR and Supercars. Especially after Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning Chicago win in 2023 and Brodie Kostecki’s Cup Series debut soon after.

For Supercars, it is proof that the Adelaide finale can entice global names even after high-profile disappointments. For NASCAR, it is another step in building international bridges.

Cindric could be a playoff hero despite being picked for elimination

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs often produce unexpected storylines such as Kyle Busch’s surprise absence in the Next-Gen era. But few have been more surprising this year than Austin Cindric’s position. Widely considered a candidate for early elimination, like by Dale Jr, who said, “Cindric and SVG, who we, but we all were talking about might miss the next round,” the Team Penske driver entered the postseason with only one win at Talladega and inconsistent results across the year. Yet in the opening race at Darlington, he managed to keep himself in contention, finishing 12th, avoiding the missteps that plagued several bigger names. That result has suddenly shifted attention toward his ability to outlast expectations.

Cindric’s case highlights the razor-thin margins of playoff survival. Analysts and fans had largely written him off due to his struggles on intermediate tracks and lack of momentum entering September. However, avoiding disaster at Darlington has given him a chance to advance, where he sits +12 points at 9th now. Cindric won last year at Gateway and has finished in the top 20 in the last two races at Bristol. With two races left in the Round of 16, his steady performance in these two upcoming tracks might make him play the spoiler on the field for the top contenders.

At the moment, Cindric is still being overlooked, but surviving the chaos could make him a dark horse. Meanwhile, drivers like Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Logano remain favorites to win it all. The Penske driver’s calm approach and ability to manage risk have impressed observers. Cindric himself admitted after Darlington that he knew survival was the key: “You can’t win a championship if you don’t make it through the rounds.” His understanding of the playoff grind could prove pivotal if others continue to falter.

If Cindric advances past the first round, the dynamic of the playoffs could shift. His underdog run would not only bolster Team Penske’s chances but also reshape the narrative around young drivers competing with veterans. The challenge remains steep with Gateway and Bristol on the horizon. But if he survives, Cindric’s transformation from an expected casualty to a playoff threat could be one of the season’s defining twists.