For years, NASCAR drivers have eyed a crossover to the Australian Supercars Championship, with a few like Marcos Ambrose and Shane van Gisbergen showing that the jump is not just possible, it can be wildly successful. Supercars demand precision, heavy braking, and pack style touring car racecraft, a very different skill set from stock car ovals, but drivers with road racing or endurance backgrounds often thrive.

Now, after Austin Cindric recently landed a wildcard entry with Tickford Racing for the Adelaide Grand Final, the beast has got a taste of blood, and he wants more.

Cindric craves Supercars

While talking with Apex Hunter United on their podcast, Austin Cindric, who has never been shy about wanting to test himself outside NASCAR, and his recent comments made it clear that a run in the Australian Supercars Championship is something he would take seriously if the schedule ever allowed it.

He said the “ideal scenario” would be simply having the time to try it, adding, “Still, at least put myself in a position to if I want to try it, I at least have a real-world experience of if I liked it… if I can do it… if I feel confident enough to do it.”

That mindset fits perfectly with his background, as Austin Cindric grew up racing everything from open-wheel cars to rallycross to IMSA sports cars. He has always believed that seat time across multiple disciplines makes a more complete driver, something echoed by many of his interviews over the years.

One of the most telling moments came when Cindric joked about his past misfortune in unfamiliar series, saying he had “plain successful luck of breaking.”

His comment reflects a real part of his early racing journey, the learning curve in sports cars included mechanical failures and hard lessons. He followed that by pointing to a modern example that proves why cross-disciplinary competition matters: “You have this clear example of a guy who you cannot ignore… the performance.” While he did not say the name, he was clearly referencing Shane van Gisbergen, whose immediate success in NASCAR in 2023 forced the entire industry to acknowledge the value of racing in multiple high-level categories.

As he continued, Cindric said something that made his intentions even clearer: “Sometimes you just have to put things to bed… just do it for the sake of doing it.” That sense of unfinished business has followed Cindric for years. Long before he became a Daytona 500 winner, he was a driver who bounced between series searching for the next challenge. His comments show that the itch has not gone away.

And when he added, “As a series, a lot of us are already at that point,” he hinted at something broader, the sense among Cup drivers that NASCAR’s incredibly demanding 38-race schedule leaves almost zero room to compete elsewhere, even when they want to.

Cindric made it clear that this was not just about enhancing his Cup performance. In fact, he said, “Forget about the Cup stuff… it is just… it is a skill set to continue to work on and want to have.” To him, running Supercars would be an exercise in broadening his racing identity, not chasing trophies. That mirrors how past NASCAR drivers like Jimmie Johnson approached ventures into IndyCar or sports cars. Supercars, with their street circuits, heavy cars, and elbows-out racing, would be a natural fit for someone with Cindric’s background.

Ultimately, Cindric wrapped his thoughts with the line that defined the entire discussion: “We just need more off weeks ’cause I would do it in a heartbeat. Maybe one day.” It was sincere, unfiltered, and reflective of a long-standing reality in NASCAR. The desire for global racing experiences exists, but the schedule keeps the door nearly shut.

His comment fits perfectly within the broader trend of Cup drivers wanting to step outside the series occasionally, if only the calendar would allow for it. It is the kind of honest itch that echoes through the garage, where even a Penske star like Ryan Blaney can look back on his own path and laugh at how the simplest steps, like getting behind the wheel legally, were not always a slam dunk.

Ryan Blaney’s license story

The Blaney family is one of the most reputable racing dynasties in the United States. The family tree’s connection to speed began with George Blaney, who started a race team alongside his lumber business around the 1950s. It then passed on to Lou Blaney, then Dave Blaney, and now lives through Ryan Blaney.

But even this rich heritage has its limitations in the real world. Ryan, who now drives in the NASCAR Cup Series for Team Penske, spoke in an interview earlier this year about his struggles to obtain his driver’s license as a teenager. The instructor who guided him had been a race fan and knew the kind of family that he came from. So, things had been pretty exciting for him from that standpoint. However, the real struggle was elsewhere.

He said, “I think the toughest part of that one was the written test, you know, when you got to go in and… because that can be hard. Like, what does this sign mean? And you have never seen that sign in your life, and you are like, I do not know. But yeah, it was pretty easy, fortunately.” He did end up getting his license at the end of the day and preserving his family’s legacy in the town. Imagine a Blaney failing his driver’s license test.

Ryan talked about his family’s impact on him, “It came from my grandfather to my dad and my uncle. As a kid, I was lucky to see it at a young age. I was fortunate enough to have a shot at racing. As a kid, I wanted to do what dad did.”

It is a fun reminder that even in a world where guys like Cindric dream of hopping continents for a race, the basics back home can trip you up. Ryan Blaney’s story grounds it all, showing that no matter how deep the racing roots run, everyone has to start somewhere, even if it is just passing a test about stop signs.