Ford Performance NASCAR: Cindric Advances to NXS Championship 4 For Second Straight Year

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Carquest Auto Parts Ford Mustang -- “We actually had to re-establish our track position after stage one with all of those cars flipping stages, so almost got a chance to win the race there.  It’s tough when you’re trying to race for a championship.  I said it after Bristol.  I have one way I intend on having to race for a championship and I feel like that’s as close as you can get to clean racing.  Noah earned it.  Noah deserved it.  I think a couple more laps and the 22 car would be in Victory Lane.”

ANY SHOT OF CONTACT COMING TO THE CHECKERED FLAG?  “Absolutely, there’s a shot at contact.  It’s Martinsville.  I mean, we’re racing for a championship.  That’s the way I see it.  That’s how I’d want to be raced and that’s how I intend on racing for a championship.  That’s what I said after Bristol and I felt like I had a great opportunity there in three and four and I just need a couple more inches.  I really wanted to get the win today, but excited to go next week and have some fun.  I’ve said it throughout the year last year and throughout the year this year, making the Champ 4 is the hardest thing you can do in a national series and at Phoenix in the final race it’s about having your best day.  We have the opportunity to go do that and have some fun.”

THE RESPECT YOU GAVE TO THE 9 IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT’S WHAT YOU’D EXPECT FROM YOUR THREE COMPETITORS NEXT WEEK?  “I can’t expect anything to be reciprocated, but with all eyes on this series and what we’ve been able to do this year, I want to make a statement on how I intend on racing, for sure.”

POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE

AUSTIN CINDRIC -- WAS THERE ANY THOUGHT ABOUT GRAGSON WINNING AND HOW GOOD ALLGAIER IS AT PHOENIX?  “It didn’t affect my final decision.  That’s my political answer.  Obviously, Justin is extremely good at Phoenix, but that wasn’t gonna stop me from trying to win the race tonight.  I feel like that would be really, really foolish and a disservice to my race team, so I had that opportunity and chose to do with it what I did.”

YOU SAID YOU DIDN’T WANT TO USE NOAH UP AND RACE HIM A CERTAIN WAY.  THAT WAS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE SAW IN THE TRUCK RACE.  WHY DO YOU THINK YOU GUYS HAVE A DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHY ON HOW TO RACE THAN THE TRUCK GUYS DO?  “I think it’s a great question.  I think all three of us probably have a similar yet different answer to this.  There’s a lot of experience between Noah, Daniel, AJ and myself.  That stuff usually doesn’t work too well in your favor, even if it’s for short-term gain.  I feel like we’ve all benefited from the short-term gain, but also seen the penalty from it.  Look, we’re all at that step where it’s right under the Cup level, whether if it’s what my desire to be or whatever their desire is to be in their career.  There isn’t anything higher after the XFINITY Series once you move up, so I feel like when you’re in great equipment it’s a great platform to show the people at the next level how you intend to go about your business because there will be a day that I’ll be contending for a Cup win.  I might suck a few races next year, but that’s all about being a rookie, but at the same time I feel like it is a great platform for me to really showcase what I’m about inside of a race car.”

ON DANIEL HEMRIC HAVING TO POINTS RACE AT THE END.  “This is bad.  Come on.  This guy has won stages.  He’s led laps.  He put himself in position.  He put his team on his back today, made the right choice on the choose for points racing purposes only.  The only reason I had a chance to win this race today is because Daniel had to points race and I didn’t.”

FORD FINISHING RESULTS

2nd -- Austin Cindric

10th -- Riley Herbst

31st -- Ryan Sieg