If you were to rank the most surprising winners in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe would have to be at the top of the list. Cindric shocked the NASCAR world with a victory in the Daytona 500, which was just his eighth Cup Series start. Briscoe earned his first win at Phoenix Raceway three weeks later. It was fitting that Cindric and Briscoe, who battled for the NASCAR Xfinity Series title in 2020, became Cup winners for the first time just a few weeks apart.
Far less surprising is the struggles which they have endured since their respective victories. Cindric has just one top 10 since his win. Aside from Daytona International Speedway, his season has looked like a more typical rookie campaign, full of ups and downs as the driver and team try to learn what they need from each other each week. Briscoe, last season’s rookie of the year, has cooled off since Phoenix. On several occasions, the No. 14 team has struggled to close out races where it showed the potential for a top-five result.
However, there is a good chance that the tide can turn back in Cindric and Briscoe’s favor before the playoffs begin. The remainder of the regular season features four stops at road courses: Sonoma Raceway, Road America, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Watkins Glen International. Cindric and Briscoe, despite their inconsistency and inexperience, must be considered contenders at all four of those tracks.
Both drivers have enjoyed some of the best runs in their NASCAR careers at road courses. Cindric, who was already known for his road racing skills before taking on NASCAR, scored five of his 13 Xfinity victories and one win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on road courses.
The first time Cindric went road racing in Cup was at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) last year. In a race that started under wet conditions, Cindric leapt to the front of the pack and spent the opening laps gapping Cup Series veterans. Mechanical…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Frontstretch…