NASCAR Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric talks 'intense' wire-to-wire finish

NASCAR rookie celebrates his 'dream come true' victory over Bubba Wallace.

NASCAR’s Daytona 500 came down to the wire on Sunday, and it was Austin Cindric who edged out Bubba Wallace and Ryan Blaney on the front straightaway to secure the victory.

Cindric appeared on "Fox & Friends" on the Fox News Channel on Monday morning. He talked to co-anchors Steve Doocy, Rachel Camps-Duffy and Lawrence Jones about his win.

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Bubba Wallace (23) bumps into Austin Cindric (2) as the approach the finish line during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Cindric won the race. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

"Certainly a pretty intense moment they're racing for the win of the Daytona 500, it's the one that everybody wants to win," Cindric said of the narrow victory. "It’s one that everybody wants to win, and Bubba has been able to put himself into position a lot of years in a row now. Just try to position myself to where I can be close enough to still make those blocks and still make those moves to be at the lead at the start-finish line.

"We did have a red flag – a stopped period for clean-up for one of the crashes. Definitely a good time to reflect on what I’m going to have to do if I find myself in that position, restarting on the front row of the biggest race of the season. But you gotta keep your head in the game, and what an incredible opportunity to be able to do it in front of a sellout crowd."

Austin Cindric, center, celebrates in Victory Lane with car owner Roger Penske, left, and crew chief Jeremy Bullins after winning the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 20,