How about that for a surprising outcome? After Ryan Blaney, his Team Penske teammate, ran out of fuel while coming to the white flag, Cindric was there to pick up the pieces in the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Cindric, who pitted a lap later than Blaney in the final pit sequence, had the fuel he needed to cruise to the finish line, and he snagged the win by a 3.844 seconds margin of victory over Denny Hamlin.
Following the win, Cindric’s race-winning No. 2 Freightliner Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse made a trip through the inspection bay, as is customary for the top-three finishers each weekend. Cindric’s car was given a passing grade, which allowed NASCAR to officially declare Cindric and his team the winners of the race.
This victory, which seals Cindric’s place in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff field, is the second win of the young driver’s career, and his first since the 2022 Daytona 500, 85 races ago.
No issues were detected in post-race inspection, which means all results and standings following Sunday’s race at Gateway are considered official.
The No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro and the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang will be taken back to the NASCAR R&D Center for further inspection.
Denny Hamlin nabbed a runner-up finish, and he was followed to the finish line by Brad Keselowski, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, Christopher Bell, Carson Hocevar, Justin Haley, and Kyle Larson inside the top-10.
Official Race Results
Race Results: NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway
Updated Driver Standings
Race Recap
Austin Cindric Inherits Gateway Victory After Blaney Runs Out of Fuel
Video Highlights
Video: Kyle Larson Crashes Into Kyle Busch on Final Lap of Stage 2
Video: Heartbreak for Ryan Blaney, as his Gas Tank Runs Dry With Two Laps to Go
