Austin Cindric won NASCAR’s biggest race in his first season as a full time Cup Series driver. That made his 2022 rookie year a bit different than expected. He admits he also had some days where he “still feels like a rookie” a few weeks into the 2023 season.

By Alex Zietlow / The Charlotte Observer

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Are able to be a rookie after winning The Daytona 500 and having those Expectations I don't know placed on you I think there were some days I didn't Feel like one and there were some days I Really felt like a rookie so there's Some days I still feel like rookies so As far as that goes yeah it definitely Changes changes the year changes how you Go about things I think in some ways it Kind of has to especially being even Locked into the playoffs that early with A win so Um those things really do change how you Prepare and Your ability to kind of process what's Going on around you but at the same time Makes my life a lot busier than it Probably would be being being a rookie So I kind of had to adjust to that Schedule pretty pretty quickly Um but um it's it's how the best have to Do it every week so yeah it's a good Problem to have what's it been like Being a sophomore if you will I'd say I'd say it feels normal like I feel like I'm going into work every day it doesn't Feel like oh my God I'm going Cup racing Yeah I gotta figure this out and the Guys I'm racing against this and that Yeah I still feel like I have a lack of Experience some days but I definitely Know what I bring to the table and know What I have to work on and there's been

There's been some frustrating moments Already throughout the year just you Know You start the year off getting put in The wall three races in a row and you Know trying to figure out how to how did You get things going and then you have Two really good weeks and then you have Another really bad week so just ups and Downs just it's so hard now more than Ever I think to find consistency in the Cup series and that's where you see Drivers and organizations right now Really having the most success just Being able to be in the game every week That's that's harder than harder than Y'all might think so Um I respect that but I want to be there For sure

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