Kyle Larson’s dreams of global motorsport stardom hit snags in 2025, with his planned wildcard entry in the Adelaide 500 scrapped and Bathurst 1000 talks stalling due to scheduling conflicts. Once poised to be NASCAR’s international ambassador, the Hendrick star faced a reality check as logistics dimmed his off-series ambitions.

Meanwhile, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric is stepping up, eyeing his global racing path while focusing on a must-win showdown at the Charlotte Roval. In a pre-race presser, Cindric didn’t just talk about his playoff fight; he laid out a vision to challenge Larson’s spotlight with a daring bid for international races like Bathurst.

Cindric’s global ambitions

At Charlotte’s pre-race press conference, Austin Cindric first tackled questions about Shane van Gisbergen

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