NASCAR: The big change that was supposed to happen, but never did

The fact that this deal ended up not panning out for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season is even more significant after last weekend.

In October 2020, it was announced that Austin Cindric, then competing for Team Penske in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, would be replacing Matt DiBenedetto behind the wheel of the #21 Ford at Wood Brothers Racing for the 2022 Cup Series season.

Given the technical alliance between Wood Brothers Racing and Team Penske, the initial plan was actually to promote Cindric to the Cup Series as DiBenedetto’s replacement for 2021, but DiBenedetto’s performance throughout the second half of his first season with the team led to them giving him another year.

However, things didn’t end up going as planned, despite this “confirmation”.

DiBenedetto did return to the team for the 2021 season, and Cindric did spend another year competing for Team Penske in the Xfinity Series.

But rumors began pretty early on that Brad Keselowski may be turning the page after the 2021 season, his 12th season with Team Penske. He entered the 2020 season without a deal to compete in 2021, but he signed a new deal in the summer of 2020. However, his new deal was only a one-year extension.

Keselowski was rumored to join Roush Fenway Racing as not only a driver but a team co-owner, a move that would open up the #2 Ford at Team Penske for 2022. The “worst kept secret” of the year was kept under wraps until Team Penske solidified their driver lineup — specifically, the replacement for the 2012 series champion.

With Cindric already slated to replace DiBenedetto, DiBenedetto was among the few drivers linked to the #2 Ford as a potential replacement for Keselowski.

But plans changed, and it was confirmed that Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series driver Harrison Burton, not Cindric, would replace DiBenedetto. Cindric, meanwhile, was named Keselowski’s replacement, meaning that he would forego his planned season at the Team Penske satellite team.

And in his first race as a full-time Team Penske Cup Series driver, Cindric delivered what Keselowski couldn’t in 12 attempts: a Daytona 500 victory.

Cindric held off 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace by just 0.036 seconds in a photo finish to deliver Roger Penske his third win in the “Great American Race” as a car owner. Penske won the race in 2008 with Ryan Newman and then again in 2015 with Joey Logano, meaning the team have won it every seven years.

Cindric did compete in the race last year, so this wasn’t his first attempt. He drove a fourth entry, the #33 Ford, and was involved in the same last-lap wreck as teammates Keselowski and Logano. Sunday’s Daytona 500 was just the eighth career start for the 23-year-old Columbus, Ohio native.

All in all, it appears that things couldn’t have worked out better for Cindric. He is set to make his second start as a full-time Cup Series driver in Sunday’s WISE Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway. This race is set to be broadcast live on Fox beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET. You can watch on FuboTV by activating your free trial today!