Austin Cindric Victorious in Ford’s Inaugural Veterans Day Classic at Daytona

Austin Cindric, the 2022 Daytona 500 champion representing the Air Force, secured a historic victory in the first-ever Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic. The event featured 12 Ford Mustangs in a intense 30-minute race around Daytona International Speedway.

Cindric edged out Robert Noaker, who stepped in as a replacement for Ryan Blaney. Blaney, fresh off winning the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, was forced to withdraw due to a fall sustained the previous day.

The race was a closely contested battle, with Cindric finishing just 0.136 seconds ahead of Noaker. The duo engaged in a thrilling back-and-forth throughout the event, showcasing high-level competition.

Cindric, known for his Daytona 500 win, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship, and a podium finish at the Rolex 24, faced off against Noaker, a two-time IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge Series champion with victories in the Mazda MX-5 Cup and Michelin Pilot Challenge GS class.

“Air Force, hell yeah!” exclaimed Cindric post-race. “What an incredible way to commemorate Veterans Day. This event was amazing, and I thoroughly enjoyed racing Robert. He’s undoubtedly the future in these cars. I’m grateful to all our servicemen and women for making events like this possible. I hope the families here tonight and watching at home felt the fun and joy, and also saw how much everyone at Ford Racing truly appreciates our veterans’ contributions.”

On the battle for the win, Noaker reflected on the start: “Probably the beginning of the race, not managing the tires well. Cindric had better braking into the corners, while I had more top-end speed. It made for an enjoyable duel, adapting and learning how these cars race together. It was so much fun.”

Ryan Preece claimed third place, followed by Logan Sargeant in fourth and Brad Keselowski in fifth. The top ten was completed by Layne Riggs, Joey Logano, Joey Hand, Ben Hobson, and Noah Gragson.

Ty Majeski and Jenson Altzman finished 11th and 12th, respectively.

Additionally, Frankie Muniz was originally set to compete but was involved in a practice crash earlier in the day. He was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and later released, but was unable to participate in the race.

Earlier in the day, Ford also unveiled the new Mustang body design that NASCAR Cup teams will adopt in 2027.

Complete Race Recap

In the race, Cindric secured pole position. Noaker, replacing Blaney, started alongside on the outside of the front row, with Sargeant qualifying third.

The 30-minute race began with Cindric in the lead, but Noaker quickly took over. Cindric kept pace as they pulled away from the rest of the field.

Mid-pack, Majeski spun entering the backstretch chicane, with Gragson narrowly avoiding a collision.

The fight for third was intense between Navy teammates Sargeant and Preece, who swapped positions repeatedly.

With nine minutes remaining, Cindric reclaimed the lead, but Noaker stayed close, keeping the competition tight.

Logano lost his rear bumper in the Daytona tri-oval, which detached and landed on the apron.

Noaker regained the lead a lap later, continuing the see-saw battle.

Altzman, running a strong fourth, spun at the exit of the backstretch chicane and dropped down the order.

Riggs and Logano battled for sixth, with Riggs venturing onto the apron and dirt through Turns 1 and 2.

Cindric finally seized the lead for good with four minutes left, braking into Turn 1, and held off Noaker to the checkered flag.

Ford Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic Race Results

Pos.
Driver
Army Branch
Margin

1
Austin Cindric
Team Air Force
—

2
Robert Noaker
Team Marines
-0.136s

3
Ryan Preece
Team Navy
-5.340s

4
Logan Sargeant
Team Navy
-6.706s

5
Brad Keselowski
Team Army
-10.376s

6
Layne Riggs
Team Space Force
-12.085s

7
Joey Logano
Team Coast Guard
-12.360s

8
Joey Hand
Team Army
-28.095s

9
Ben Hobson
Team Marines
-29.302s

10
Noah Gragson
Team Space Force
-46.463s

11
Ty Majeski
Team Coast Guard
-50.870s

12
Jenson Altzman
Team Air Force
-1 lap

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