Austin Cindric has 1-letter response to final-lap crash thwarting Daytona 500 chances
Austin Cindric finished 22nd at the Daytona 500 on Monday night but was in contention to win the race until the last lap when he spun out across the infield.
As the pack came down the front stretch, William Byron had a slight advantage. Corey LaJoie was racing behind Cindric when the No. 2 car spun out and collected Ross Chastain with him. The race ended there with Byron declared the winner of the Daytona 500 for the first time in his career.
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Cindric spun out and came back up the racetrack. His night went from fighting for the win or at least the top five turned out to be falling all the way into the back of the field.
"K," he wrote on X after the race.
Cindric, who won the Daytona 500 in 2022, explained to reporters his feelings after he was released from the infield care center.
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"Really unfortunate end," Cindric told FOX Sports. "Shot to win the Daytona 500. Really in great position with the outside lane breaking up. Had a 1-on-1 with the 24 (Byron) with the whole pack behind. Can’t really ask for anything else other than that out of myself and the team. Yeah, just sucks a little bit."
Cindric said LaJoie tried to "fit a car where there wasn’t a car and continued to push through my left rear until I wrecked."
LaJoie ended up finishing fourth and did not seem to be too bothered with Cindric’s remarks.
"It’s the last lap," LaJoie told FOX Sports. "I’ve seen him do a lot of dumb things too and we’re not friends."