Austin Cindric playfully teased Zane Smith prior to their Cornhole for a Cause match on Friday, held in Richmond, Virginia. The #2 Team Penske driver posted a photo of Smith at the venue, dubbing him the “Great Cornholio,” referencing the animated TV character’s hyperactive alter ego.
The event, overseen by the American Cornhole League, features NASCAR Cup Series drivers competing against professional cornhole players. Alongside Cindric and Smith, fellow NASCAR drivers Ross Chastain and Noah Gragson are participating during the Chicago street race weekend.
NASCAR Drivers Compete Off the Track Ahead of Chicago Racing Weekend
Cindric’s Instagram story highlighted the event location and his nickname for Smith, connecting with the quirky character from Beavis and Butt-Head. Following the cornhole challenge in Richmond, the NASCAR drivers are scheduled to travel to Chicago for the Grant Park 165 race weekend.
The race weekend will begin with practice and qualifying sessions on Saturday, leading to a 75-lap street race on Sunday. This event also includes the second round of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge, where Cindric and Smith are both contenders.
Last week at EchoPark Speedway, Smith defeated Cindric in the first round of the In-Season Challenge and will now face Chris Buescher in the upcoming round. Cindric currently holds 15th place in the points standings, capturing one win, one top-five finish, and four top-10s, including a close victory over Ryan Preece at Talladega Superspeedway.
Smith leads Front Row Motorsports in points, ranked 25th overall and ahead of teammates Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson after 18 races.
Austin Cindric Reflects on Awkward Conversation with Joey Logano After Talladega Incident
Austin Cindric acknowledged that discussing their post-race tensions with teammate Joey Logano at Talladega Superspeedway was uncomfortable but necessary for the team’s progress. The disagreement arose when Logano criticized Cindric for allowing Bubba Wallace to win stage two, calling the decision “stupid.”
“It’s always awkward, right? I mean, it’s one of the larger challenges of doing races like that, when you expect so much out of each other and rely so much on each other, and I think there are way more times that I’ve had success on tracks like that because I’ve had my teammates around me and vice versa,” the #2 Team Penske driver said (via Bob Pockrass on X).
“So I think that’s really important for us. It’s something we put a ton of focus on, and as a race team, you have to have those conversations,” he added.
Cindric earned his third career Cup Series win at Talladega, securing victory on the 2.66-mile track. However, Logano suffered a setback when his #22 Ford was disqualified from fifth place after failing the post-race inspection due to an illegal spoiler, dropping him to 39th. Another teammate, Ryan Blaney, encountered difficulties after a multi-car crash on lap 43 ended his race prematurely.
Upcoming Challenges for Austin Cindric and Zane Smith
The upcoming Chicago street race and the continuing In-Season Challenge represent crucial opportunities for both Austin Cindric and Zane Smith to advance their seasons. Following their off-track cornhole competition, their on-track rivalry remains a focal point as the series intensifies.
Their performances in Chicago could influence team dynamics, standings, and momentum as the NASCAR season progresses.