Austin Cindric Cornhole for a Cause took center stage in Richmond, Virginia, as NASCAR’s Austin Cindric playfully called out fellow driver Zane Smith ahead of their match. Cindric, driving the #2 car for Team Penske, referenced Smith as the “Great Cornholio” in a social media post, sharing a photo of Smith at the event venue and evoking the hyperactive character from the animated series Beavis and Butt-Head.
The event, endorsed by the American Cornhole League, featured Cup Series drivers such as Austin Cindric, Zane Smith, Ross Chastain, and Noah Gragson competing against professional cornhole players during the same weekend as the Chicago street race. The unique gathering drew attention for uniting motorsport celebrities and cornhole athletes under one charitable cause.
Cindric’s Instagram story displayed both the Richmond venue and Smith, playfully dubbing him Cornholio, borrowing traits from the famous cartoon character and amplifying the competitive and humorous atmosphere at the event.
Once the Cornhole for a Cause competition wrapped up, Cindric and other NASCAR drivers prepared to travel to Chicago to participate in the Grant Park 165. Weekend proceedings include practice and qualifying on Saturday, leading up to the demanding 75-lap street race through downtown Chicago on Sunday.
NASCAR Competitors Face Off in On-Track and Charity Challenges
Beyond Richmond’s cornhole showdown, the Grant Park 165 marks the second stage of the series’ In-Season Challenge. Last week, Austin Cindric met Zane Smith at EchoPark Speedway for the opening round, where Smith—piloting for Front Row Motorsports in the #38 car—secured victory and earned a matchup against Chris Buescher for the subsequent round.
Cindric currently holds the 15th position in the Cup Series driver standings. After 18 races, he’s secured one win, one finish inside the top five, and four in the top ten. Notably, Cindric’s win came in a dramatic photo finish against Ryan Preece at Talladega Superspeedway. Zane Smith, leading the Front Row Motorsports contingent in 25th place overall, holds a points advantage over his teammates Todd Gilliland (#28) and Noah Gragson (#33).
Tensions After Talladega: Cindric Opens Up About Teammate Discussions
The intensity between Austin Cindric and his Team Penske teammate Joey Logano became apparent following the Talladega Superspeedway race. Cindric acknowledged in a recent interview that his conversation with Logano after the contentious finish was challenging but necessary. The disagreement stemmed from Logano criticizing Cindric for what he saw as allowing Bubba Wallace to capture the stage two win at Talladega, even labeling his teammate’s move as “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,”
—Austin Cindric, #2 Team Penske driver
“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,”
—Austin Cindric
Cindric managed to notch his third career Cup Series win at the Talladega event, outlasting the competition at the famed 2.66-mile Alabama speedway. Joey Logano, his teammate in the #22 Ford, initially finished fifth but was subsequently disqualified for a technical infraction, which dropped him to 39th place. Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney, also representing Team Penske, saw his day cut short after being caught in a crash just 43 laps into the race.
Charity Competition Signals Busy Summer for Cup Series Drivers
The Cornhole for a Cause event demonstrates how NASCAR drivers like Austin Cindric intertwine off-track charitable efforts with intense on-track rivalries and teamwork. With the Cup Series entering a pivotal stretch featuring both the high-stakes Chicago street race and the ongoing In-Season Challenge, drivers are finding little downtime between public appearances and competitive events. The outcome of these combined efforts may influence both the championship standings and the drivers’ relationships as the summer intensifies for Penske, Front Row Motorsports, and the broader NASCAR field.
