Kyle Larson’s dreams of global motorsport stardom hit snags in 2025, with his planned wildcard entry in the Adelaide 500 scrapped and Bathurst 1000 talks stalling due to scheduling conflicts. Once poised to be NASCAR’s international ambassador, the Hendrick star faced a reality check as logistics dimmed his off-series ambitions.

Meanwhile, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric is stepping up, eyeing his global racing path while focusing on a must-win showdown at the Charlotte Roval. In a pre-race presser, Cindric didn’t just talk about his playoff fight; he laid out a vision to challenge Larson’s spotlight with a daring bid for international races like Bathurst.

Cindric’s global ambitions

At Charlotte’s pre-race press conference, Austin Cindric first tackled questions about Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) with a nod to the competition: “I wouldn’t say that. Didn’t he get beaten today? I think he’s exceptionally talented, and I think it’s good to have someone like that in the series.” SVG’s road-course prowess, with four wins in 2025, pushes drivers like Cindric to elevate their game.

Facing a talent like SVG at the Roval, where track position is king, sharpens Cindric’s edge. His praise for SVG’s skill mirrors his own drive to grow, whether it’s battling at Charlotte or dreaming of international tracks, setting the stage for a high-stakes weekend.

“Oh, why do I have to beat all of them, not just him. But yeah, I mean that’s what we do when we go to the simulator to try the things that we normally can’t do. Whether that’s setup items in the race, car, or different lines, you might want to try. But yeah, a lot. A lot of prep goes into the week, and that’s included,” Cindric said.

His prep for the Roval is intense, with hours in the simulator testing setups and lines to outsmart not just SVG but the whole field, including Larson. With a 12th-place standing and 48 points below the Round of 8 cut, Cindric is grinding every angle, from tire management to braking zones, to pull off a win. It’s the kind of focus that fuels his bigger ambitions, like racing abroad.

“Yeah, I got the polish to run Bathurst 12 Hours twice. I’m not sure if it still stands at one point in time. I was the youngest to do the race, and I’d love to go back and drive that track. I’d love to try the Bathurst 1,000. I think that’s a driving motivation to go to Adelaide and also just have the opportunity,” Cindric shared.

His Bathurst 12 Hour runs, where he was once the youngest competitor, show he’s no stranger to global stages. Unlike Kyle Larson’s stalled plans, Cindric is eyeing Adelaide and Bathurst 1000 to flex his skills in V8 Supercars. It’s a bold move to step into Larson’s international spotlight, using his NASCAR-honed precision to tackle diverse tracks.

“You never know when you’re going to get a chance to do something that different and that fun and that cool, but I also do feel like as a driver I have a lot of the skill sets I think of what it would take to perform well in the car like that now being able to apply that all on one race weekend and one try. Who knows. But yeah, I’d rather swing the bat and see what it’s like than not get to ever do it. So I’d love to go back down,” he said.

Cindric’s hunger to seize rare chances, like racing Down Under, mirrors his Roval mindset: swing big, whether it’s for a championship or a global resume. His confidence in adapting NASCAR skills to Supercars shows he’s ready to challenge Larson’s narrative as the sport’s global star.

Cindric’s global ambitions tie directly to his do-or-die fight at the Bank of America ROVAL 400, where he’s 12th in the playoff standings after a Kansas wreck left him reeling.

Cindric’s must-win Roval showdown

“If we want to go race for a championship this year, we have to win this race to advance to the next round of the playoffs,” Cindric said on WCNC+.

“The goals are quite simple for us. Obviously, a lot easier said than done; just go out and win.” His fourth-place Roval finish in 2024 is no guarantee. “Past success doesn’t necessarily always equal future success,” he warned. With Larson, SVG, and others in the mix, Cindric is facing a stacked field where one misstep ends his season.

“It’s a difficult one to manage, especially if you lose track position,” Cindric noted about the Roval’s road-oval hybrid. Qualifying is critical: “Saturday’s gonna be just as important as Sunday, being able to qualify well, push yourself out front, be able to have that track position.” His simulator work, testing lines and setups, aims to nail a front-row start to avoid the chaos that buried him at Kansas.

Racing at home in Charlotte, where NASCAR’s heart beats, adds a boost. “It’s one of the few weekends we get to race pretty much at home,” he said, noting shop crews and family in the stands. That hometown vibe fuels his drive to upset Larson’s dominance and keep Penske’s championship hopes alive, all while eyeing a global stage.