I think Cindric is safe as long as Josh Berry doesn't outshine him at WBR. He kind of benefits not just from his dad but the lack of talent in the Ford pipeline.
Yeah, Ford just steals other drivers are in other pipelines. They should get rid of if him doesn’t get better and go get Cory Heim. If Toyota doesn’t wanna promote him Fine FORD WILL
@@WindRider1 Suarez is probably going to Kaulig if he doesn’t perform. He’s not leaving the Cup Series unless he makes that choice, because a lot of teams would be happy to take him. I think there’s a chance he could be a candidate for the second Cadillac seat in F1. As for Cindric, he’s never leaving Penske.
Cindric's run at Gateway really was fantastic, even if Bell and Blaney were just a bit better. But Cindric was really fast, and executed his race nearly perfectly, so he earned that win with a little luck on his side. I have to think Penske was mostly happy with Cindric's 2024 considering he showed flashes of improvement. That isn't to say he's safe, but he's probably starting off the season in a good position, as long as his season doesn't get off to a terrible start. Also worth mentioning is that Logano, and Ford as a whole, struggled last year until the summer, so that works in Cindric's favor. Another thing worth mentioning is that Tim Cindric was part of that Indycar scandal/botch that resulted in a disqualification. Perhaps that has something to do with this change as the new seasons get started nearly a year later. I forgot there were heat races tomorrow, so it's a good thing I check your channel daily.
I’m so glad you can pause the live driver audio. It’s so frustrating trying to get the old website scanner audio stnhh CB ed with your tv broadcast using some external program like VLC media player or something. Having it native in HBO is gonna be so convenient
I appreciate the information you consistently provide us. Your podcasts and your talent as a broadcaster continue to improve, becoming very professional. When is NASCAR going to add you to their payroll. You’re already promoting NASCAR better than they are!
I think Austin Cindric takes a step forward this year. He showed some flashes last year, and made it to the Round of 12. There seems to be some unreasonable expectations put on young drivers in the Cup series these days, and making the playoffs two of your first three seasons isn't bad IMO when the competition is as good as it is. I wouldn't read too much into Tim Cindric stepping back - he's in his mid-'50s and probably hearing the call of the fishing boat.
I live in Winston and have been to Bowman Gray plenty. This will be my first live Cup experience. I have ZERO idea how the Madhouse flavor will translate. My guess is we won’t get the usual theatrics. Just in case, I got a front row ticket so I can toss Preece a steel chair if he needs me! 😂
I remember when..... Speedweeks ended with the NASCAR races. They waited until Volusia ended because a lot of racers were down there competing when the Kyle Larsons of racing were common.
driver cam is only for the in car video not the full race broadcast. 9.99 per month with ads or 99.99 per year for max, includes cam for a limited time. site says 9.99 value so they may charge extra. one can pay more no ads. terms and condition apply.
I see parody between Austin Cindric & Ryan Blaney. Blaney was in very similar circumstanc down to the criticism until he won his championship. Will Austin step up this year? It's a definite maybe if Team Penski steps up with him earlier in the season. Team Penski always steps up late in the season a Skill that he has not yet learned.
I look at how Austin did the final 10 races of 2024. 10th at Atlanta he "dominated" 10th at the glen 13th at Bristol (one of penskes worst gen 7 tracks) Kansas he drove up to the top 5 in stage one before his pitcrew sold him and then he got wrecked Talladega he was leading and got wrecked 4th at the Roval Las Vegas he drove into the top 10 before he got clipped by Keselowski and Blaney in the Reddick flip crash Homestead idek what happened lol 4th at Martinsville 11th at Phoenix
Austin is a good driver but he comes from sports car racing where they have respectful drivers “gentlemen” if you wish. Austin has to adapt to the bump and run drivers, the crash and smash drivers, the stupid and assinine drivers of NASCAR. If he lowers his creed to the level of NASCAR drivers he will get wins.
You sound like a wealth of Motorsports knowledge & wisdom. I'm sure you have a long storied history and impact on all forms of Motorsports....@@garylane6868
Tim Cindric has stated multiple times that he would be the first to pull Austin out of the car if he isn't performing. Tim is hard on Austin which is why Austin had to step it up in 2020 (They were going to shut down the Xfinity program due to COVID).
Since he came into the 2 car his teammates have won every championship that he has competed for, so I believe he should be a top 4 championship runner this year....
its like they are trying to spread it out over as many platforms as possible. I dont even have Prime and I'm not planning on spending 30 dollars to watch 5 races.
Unpopular opinion: I honestly dont think that Cindric has any extra pressure on him, because the pressure has been there since the day he took over that no. 2 car. If anything imo the pressure is only amplified because he made the playoffs last year with a win at Gateway. Other than that my excitement for Bowman Gray is through the roof and I cannot wait to watch!
I don’t really get the cindric hate? 2 wins and 2 round of 12 appearances aren’t good enough to keep your job? Especially bc none of the other young drivers are doing anything
I used to be such a Busch hater. Especially during the Larson/ Bush rivalry days. But after last year, i felt so bad for him i wanted to see him win. I'm gonna be rooting ( just a little ) that he can get a win early this year. Them Larson / Busch days were some of the best racing when Larson really had a disadvantage, and his talent had to shine to race toe to toe with Busch. I've enjoyed the tables turning but i miss that rilverary between them.
Cindric seems to go missing for large periods of the season , he is good on superspeedways but i have often thought if his dad wasnt there would it work, time will tell
Austin Cindric is absolutely a cup level driver. But is he a Penske level driver? I don’t think so. If I’m team Penske, I’m making a call to Corey Heim and seeing if he’s interested/available. A Penske cup ride tops anything 23XI or Legacy could offer him respectfully. It would be a blockbuster move. Regarding Cindric then, I’m sure you could move him to the Wood Brothers, where he would fit pretty well there, and give them a threat to win on super speedways.
Since it’s called The Madhouse, i pick SVG to win here and maybe the Daytona 500, he survived in front last time at Talladega and almost catches the group in Daytona 2.
Blaney and Logano have won races and championships since cindric was put in the Duce. This year is a make or break for him, he’s uber talented idk if it’s the competition of cup or the crew chief but if Josh Berry or one of the haas xfinity guys out perform cindric this year, bro is cooked.
Blaney and Logano. Winning championships. If he’s the odd man out……. See ya!!. Can’t get a lucky win and then half to season you’re nowhere to be found.
who knows? without dads backing, it may be what puts a fire under austin cendric' behind this year.considering both other penske cars have recent championships.its time for austin to show or go.i wish him luck.he needs it.
Who are you replacing Cindric with that would be better? If you’re replacing Cindric, you’d need a driver who is clearly an upgrade, and unless Penske is getting their hands on someone like Christopher Bell, that’s not happening
Cindric is fine. Honestly he might be the best performing young guy since the Next Gen Era. People are all excited about Ty Gibbs and he still hasn't won. Cindric won the 500 in year one. I get that it's a Superspeedway race that can kinda be a crapshoot but he definitely earned it. And you have to take into account that Ford has seemingly been the third manufacturer, and he still has 2 wins in 3 years. Honestly, Cindric suffers from being the teammate of the last two champions more than anything. High expectations.
Don’t forget that Austin Cindric was 5 laps away from making the round of 8 last year. If he didn’t wreck off of BK’s bumper Logano wouldn’t have even made the round of 8
I'm going to put it on Ryan Preece to win the Clash this year...he's so good at these kinds of tracks, and he ran up front for most of the 2023 Clash, so with the powerhouse of RFK Racing, I think he can do it!
Austin Cindric was extremely excellent in the xfinity series. But he hasn't been great in Cup unfortunately. He won the 2022 Daytona 500 which was epic too see a rookie win but at the same time, He only really won gateway because ryan blaney ran out of gas. I hope he can do more this year but if it doesn't work out in his favor he may have to head back to xfinity or find something in trucks. As for Daniel Suarez, I will just say he needs a major Clean up and boost.
I'll probably get MAX, and Prime, too. It's like $15 and no contracts so I can cancel when their coverage is over. I'm still not getting cables though. Sad I'll miss half the season. Glad I'll get to watch all of Xfinity now, though, and glad there's 3 truck races on big FOX.
There is no possible way Cindric is losing his ride, he performed better than expected last year, ran the Rolex 24 and did good, and his dad owns Penske. It sucks but he’s not leaving until retirement likely 😂
Thoughts after NWP: 2026 Playoffs ., set the 10 tracks for the playoffs ( next 10 years) rotate the Finale through all 10 tracks. I’m down for the CHOAS Dega New Hampshire Roval and Texas 🏁🏁!!!
I can expect cindric to slightly improve this season. I see him having some momentum for road courses, but other than that i cant see him going far if he makes the playoffs
I think Cindric is safe as long as Josh Berry doesn't outshine him at WBR. He kind of benefits not just from his dad but the lack of talent in the Ford pipeline.
Or if Sam Mayer or Sheldon Creed dominates the Xfinity Series
Austin Cindric “ decides” to go open wheel racing next year for penske
@@PollysDad2 reminder, Cindric was supposed to go to Wood Brothers until Keselowski left
They could do some kind of swap
Yeah, Ford just steals other drivers are in other pipelines. They should get rid of if him doesn’t get better and go get Cory Heim. If Toyota doesn’t wanna promote him Fine FORD WILL
Can i say F#@k yeah for the MAX driver cam coverage. 😅 totally makes my subscription worth it.
Cindric ran a good race at the Rolex 24 hours at Daytona last weekend.
I’ve missed the hell out of this sport. Nothing worse than the offseason. Let’s go!
It appears Suarez & Cindric are a pair of drivers that won races last year, but may be on the hot seat coming into this season.
Suarez brings a ton of funding. He isn’t going anywhere. Cindric’s Father is President of Penske Racing. He isn’t going anywhere either.
@@WindRider1 Suarez is not leaving Cup, but he might leave Trackhouse, they have only 3 seats and Zilisch will need one.
@@WindRider1 Suarez is probably going to Kaulig if he doesn’t perform. He’s not leaving the Cup Series unless he makes that choice, because a lot of teams would be happy to take him. I think there’s a chance he could be a candidate for the second Cadillac seat in F1. As for Cindric, he’s never leaving Penske.
@@WindRider1he’s also very inconsistent and mid. He can’t coast on his heritage forever
Everyone forgets Cindric had a very good playoffs, outside of Miami, dude had at minimum top 15 speed every week, including 2 top 5s
Bill Weber passed away on Friday December 13th, 2024 at the age of 67.
Cindric's run at Gateway really was fantastic, even if Bell and Blaney were just a bit better. But Cindric was really fast, and executed his race nearly perfectly, so he earned that win with a little luck on his side. I have to think Penske was mostly happy with Cindric's 2024 considering he showed flashes of improvement. That isn't to say he's safe, but he's probably starting off the season in a good position, as long as his season doesn't get off to a terrible start. Also worth mentioning is that Logano, and Ford as a whole, struggled last year until the summer, so that works in Cindric's favor. Another thing worth mentioning is that Tim Cindric was part of that Indycar scandal/botch that resulted in a disqualification. Perhaps that has something to do with this change as the new seasons get started nearly a year later.
I forgot there were heat races tomorrow, so it's a good thing I check your channel daily.
I’m so glad you can pause the live driver audio. It’s so frustrating trying to get the old website scanner audio stnhh CB ed with your tv broadcast using some external program like VLC media player or something. Having it native in HBO is gonna be so convenient
@@AlexE5250 great point
@@EricEsteppNASCAR Xtra All onboard crash cam vids botta be crazy!
I appreciate the information you consistently provide us. Your podcasts and your talent as a broadcaster continue to improve, becoming very professional. When is NASCAR going to add you to their payroll. You’re already promoting NASCAR better than they are!
I think Austin Cindric takes a step forward this year. He showed some flashes last year, and made it to the Round of 12. There seems to be some unreasonable expectations put on young drivers in the Cup series these days, and making the playoffs two of your first three seasons isn't bad IMO when the competition is as good as it is.
I wouldn't read too much into Tim Cindric stepping back - he's in his mid-'50s and probably hearing the call of the fishing boat.
I live in Winston and have been to Bowman Gray plenty. This will be my first live Cup experience. I have ZERO idea how the Madhouse flavor will translate. My guess is we won’t get the usual theatrics. Just in case, I got a front row ticket so I can toss Preece a steel chair if he needs me! 😂
I remember when..... Speedweeks ended with the NASCAR races. They waited until Volusia ended because a lot of racers were down there competing when the Kyle Larsons of racing were common.
The Max feed is an awesome addition. Hopefully people take advantage of it and it stays around.
Love your videos Eric ! Wish they was longer sometimes ! Love to see Kyle Busch make a comeback this season !❤
i didnt know daddy was a head honcho at penske. now its makin sooooo much more sense why austin is in the ride hes in.
driver cam is only for the in car video not the full race broadcast. 9.99 per month with ads or 99.99 per year for max, includes cam for a limited time. site says 9.99 value so they may charge extra. one can pay more no ads. terms and condition apply.
I see parody between Austin Cindric & Ryan Blaney. Blaney was in very similar circumstanc down to the criticism until he won his championship. Will Austin step up this year? It's a definite maybe if Team Penski steps up with him earlier in the season. Team Penski always steps up late in the season a Skill that he has not yet learned.
I look at how Austin did the final 10 races of 2024.
10th at Atlanta he "dominated"
10th at the glen
13th at Bristol (one of penskes worst gen 7 tracks)
Kansas he drove up to the top 5 in stage one before his pitcrew sold him and then he got wrecked
Talladega he was leading and got wrecked
4th at the Roval
Las Vegas he drove into the top 10 before he got clipped by Keselowski and Blaney in the Reddick flip crash
Homestead idek what happened lol
4th at Martinsville
11th at Phoenix
Hope this momentum can carry forward
Austin is a good driver but he comes from sports car racing where they have respectful drivers “gentlemen” if you wish.
Austin has to adapt to the bump and run drivers, the crash and smash drivers, the stupid and assinine drivers of NASCAR. If he lowers his creed to the level of NASCAR drivers he will get wins.
@@garylane6868 He has his aggressive moments, but they're not aggressive enough
We found Cindrics burner lol
You sound like a wealth of Motorsports knowledge & wisdom. I'm sure you have a long storied history and impact on all forms of Motorsports....@@garylane6868
Tim Cindric has stated multiple times that he would be the first to pull Austin out of the car if he isn't performing. Tim is hard on Austin which is why Austin had to step it up in 2020 (They were going to shut down the Xfinity program due to COVID).
It wont be cold but quite chilly low 40s expected here this weekend
Since he came into the 2 car his teammates have won every championship that he has competed for, so I believe he should be a top 4 championship runner this year....
There should be only one channel to watch NASCAR on. It’s all about that money.
its like they are trying to spread it out over as many platforms as possible. I dont even have Prime and I'm not planning on spending 30 dollars to watch 5 races.
I love screen shot the weekend schedule moment your my #1 nascar source 👍
There better be a fight at Bowman Gray Sunday
I'm pretty sure not fighting at Bowman Gray is a points penalty.
Nah I just wanna see some entertaining bullring racing
@ Come on man we need a fight at Bowman Gray for The Clash being there this weekend
So we are giving the previous years C Bell treatment by forgetting all about Hamlin?
Racing starts at 1 on Saturday on flo then they bring out the taxi cabs
Oh look Eric is being honest and telling it like it is. I knew he could do it.
@Eric, thank you for posting the race schedule!!!!
0:00 a mustache guy starts yapping
facts
@@EricEsteppfacts
@@dizzy_hiccup facts
Ryan look pretty good in the modifieds finishing second
They need to advertise this!
The clash Larson, Bell and Bush should be ones to look at they been racing on dirt short track in off season
Another thing to add is KFB finished podium all 3 years and had a border line winning car at least 2 of them
Umm... Penske is a 5x Cup Series Championship winning organization
I meant 3-time as in they'd won the last 3 in a row
🤓
Bowman Gray will suprise people, the gen 7 cars with composite bodies are great for this track
Joey Lagano always does well at new venues.
I think Preece has a great chance to do great not to mention that he's won at Bowman Gray before so I'm gonna go with him for the Clash
Unpopular opinion: I honestly dont think that Cindric has any extra pressure on him, because the pressure has been there since the day he took over that no. 2 car. If anything imo the pressure is only amplified because he made the playoffs last year with a win at Gateway. Other than that my excitement for Bowman Gray is through the roof and I cannot wait to watch!
Poor Mrs. There goes scrapbooking Saturday 🤣
I don’t really get the cindric hate? 2 wins and 2 round of 12 appearances aren’t good enough to keep your job? Especially bc none of the other young drivers are doing anything
Welcome to the nascar community. If you haven’t won a championship by your 3rd season you’re a waste of a spot and a bad driver
Cindric was a half a lap away from like a 25th place points finish last year. Lucky wins don’t really mean much
When your teammates are winning championships, the spotlight is on you. Just ask Bowman.
Not when the organization has won the last 3 championships
Nepotism
I used to be such a Busch hater. Especially during the Larson/ Bush rivalry days. But after last year, i felt so bad for him i wanted to see him win. I'm gonna be rooting ( just a little ) that he can get a win early this year. Them Larson / Busch days were some of the best racing when Larson really had a disadvantage, and his talent had to shine to race toe to toe with Busch. I've enjoyed the tables turning but i miss that rilverary between them.
Cindric seems to go missing for large periods of the season , he is good on superspeedways but i have often thought if his dad wasnt there would it work, time will tell
9:55 The Narrative is already there and has been there, most people think he doesn't deserve the ride. I agree.
Please perform, Cindric!
Austin Cindric is absolutely a cup level driver. But is he a Penske level driver? I don’t think so. If I’m team Penske, I’m making a call to Corey Heim and seeing if he’s interested/available. A Penske cup ride tops anything 23XI or Legacy could offer him respectfully. It would be a blockbuster move. Regarding Cindric then, I’m sure you could move him to the Wood Brothers, where he would fit pretty well there, and give them a threat to win on super speedways.
Cindric had a great race at Cota one year
Who's the master of new and novel stuff? JOEY LOGANO!
Only just married and she's already a "NASCAR Widow".
Gotta go with denny hamlin cant talk about short tracks without mentioning denny Hamlin won the clash last year at LA same style of track as well
Since it’s called The Madhouse, i pick SVG to win here and maybe the Daytona 500, he survived in front last time at Talladega and almost catches the group in Daytona 2.
Don't sell the #22 short when it comes to new venues, he's done it before.
I’ve never been on the Cindric hype train he got coming into cup. He needs to take a big step this year
Does this mean the in car scanner won’t work on the nascar app anymore?
As an anti cable fan, this MAX deal is awesome! 🎉❤
Blaney and Logano have won races and championships since cindric was put in the Duce. This year is a make or break for him, he’s uber talented idk if it’s the competition of cup or the crew chief but if Josh Berry or one of the haas xfinity guys out perform cindric this year, bro is cooked.
This could be the 4th and final cup season for Austin Cindric if he doesn't perform like last year, especially with his dad stepping down
Cindric, for “ some reason!” Decides to go Indy car racing next year!!
Boy were you wrong about those picks !! 😂😂😂😂
Austin will have that seat as long as he wants it especially with Blaney and Logano winning championships, that actually takes pressure off him
Blaney and Logano. Winning championships. If he’s the odd man out……. See ya!!. Can’t get a lucky win and then half to season you’re nowhere to be found.
I wish nascar had onboards for all teams both truck and xfinity maybe arca as well
We’re so back baby 😂
who knows? without dads backing, it may be what puts a fire under austin cendric' behind this year.considering both other penske cars have recent championships.its time for austin to show or go.i wish him luck.he needs it.
Maybe he stepped back from the high pressure job to give him more time to help his son grow as a driver?
I'm late in saying this, but congrats on the wedding Eric!
Who are you replacing Cindric with that would be better? If you’re replacing Cindric, you’d need a driver who is clearly an upgrade, and unless Penske is getting their hands on someone like Christopher Bell, that’s not happening
Cindric is fine. Honestly he might be the best performing young guy since the Next Gen Era. People are all excited about Ty Gibbs and he still hasn't won. Cindric won the 500 in year one.
I get that it's a Superspeedway race that can kinda be a crapshoot but he definitely earned it.
And you have to take into account that Ford has seemingly been the third manufacturer, and he still has 2 wins in 3 years.
Honestly, Cindric suffers from being the teammate of the last two champions more than anything. High expectations.
I have bowman winning the clash, Busch winning the 500 and Byron winning the championship
Hum, I guess I'll dual screen the Clash and Bathurst 12 Hours tomorrow evening.
Anyone who thinks Austin is getting canned is a fool. Canning him would be like canning William Byron in 2021.
Byron was better and more consistent that season. But it just looks bad on cindric that his teammates have won the last 3 chips
No wonder you got married. You have free labor to go through all the driver feeds on Max lmao
So it's going to be a Larson vs Bell year...I got Larson.
Don’t forget that Austin Cindric was 5 laps away from making the round of 8 last year. If he didn’t wreck off of BK’s bumper Logano wouldn’t have even made the round of 8
I'm going to put it on Ryan Preece to win the Clash this year...he's so good at these kinds of tracks, and he ran up front for most of the 2023 Clash, so with the powerhouse of RFK Racing, I think he can do it!
There is nobody right now that should replace Cindirc, there is not a ford driver out there who could replace him rn
I got Carson Hocevar. I’m not trying to be bias. He’s from 10 minutes before I live in portage Michigan
Hocevar reminds me alot of Kyle Busch talent wise. But Carson is more mature than Kyle when he was that age.
I like ford’s and specifically team Penske’s speed at short tracks in the last few years. I’ve got Blaney winning the clash.
Cindric breakout year incoming. Two wins or more, calling it now
Austin Cindric was extremely excellent in the xfinity series. But he hasn't been great in Cup unfortunately. He won the 2022 Daytona 500 which was epic too see a rookie win but at the same time, He only really won gateway because ryan blaney ran out of gas. I hope he can do more this year but if it doesn't work out in his favor he may have to head back to xfinity or find something in trucks. As for Daniel Suarez, I will just say he needs a major Clean up and boost.
Agree
5 time Championship organization
Not even immediately after I see a news article he puts this out
See ya Austin cindric!
His dad owns Penske he’s not leaving
always thought cindric would shine more on road courses but ??
If Austin Cindric doesn't take a step this season it's heim time
Expectations should be a top 12 points finish. However, realistically I think he probably finishes 16th and points and is out of the playoffs.
I'll probably get MAX, and Prime, too. It's like $15 and no contracts so I can cancel when their coverage is over. I'm still not getting cables though. Sad I'll miss half the season.
Glad I'll get to watch all of Xfinity now, though, and glad there's 3 truck races on big FOX.
Eric Estepp and everyone who's your pick to win at the clash this Sunday?
He’s got your man CBELL
@Jake-rv1ow thank you
@ 👊🏻
@@JakeBynum88thanks
There is no possible way Cindric is losing his ride, he performed better than expected last year, ran the Rolex 24 and did good, and his dad owns Penske. It sucks but he’s not leaving until retirement likely 😂
Eric, I have an odd video idea/question: Which Cup series drivers are in a contract year this year?
Ok this is a wild shot in the dark. If cindric under preforms could we see another Busch in the 2 car again in 2026? 🤔
His dad owns Penske, there’s no possible chance he’s getting booted
My picks are Joey Logano,Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch
Thoughts after NWP: 2026 Playoffs ., set the 10 tracks for the playoffs ( next 10 years) rotate the Finale through all 10 tracks. I’m down for the CHOAS Dega New Hampshire Roval and Texas 🏁🏁!!!
It’s been confirmed by EE Kyle Busch to the #2 car for 2027😂😂😂
Let's GO!! Nascar fans, how bad have YOU got it!! 😅
My guess is you personally don't have to pay for it like real people
Eric you forgot to mention Kyle Busch as a candidate if they decide to boot Cindric from the seat. Kyle is also in a contract year I believe
I can expect cindric to slightly improve this season. I see him having some momentum for road courses, but other than that i cant see him going far if he makes the playoffs
I wouldn’t think so
But they moved Cole Custer when Joe was still the president of SHR
Lmao Cindric👀. If he doesn’t improve fire him. And go drop the bag and get Cory Heim from the truck series since Toyota is fucking around
Penske should jump on signing Connor Zilisch or Corey Heim if they have the chance
Also in 2022 Kyle Busch led the most laps in the 18
With the all access camera views for the drivers it’ll be hard to cheat the races! 😂