Austin Cindric 2017 Season Recap

Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 19 Ford for Brad Keselowski Racing, earned his first career victory and made a deep run in the playoffs during his first full-time season in the Camping World Truck Series. Keep scrolling to see the 2017 highlights from Cindric's season.

Started from the top ... ended on top. That's how Cindric's first career win came about. The 19-year-old driver won his first 21 Means 21 Pole Award at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and led 32 laps en route to his Victory Lane celebration. It was a slightly controversial win, as Cindric moved Kaz Grala on the final lap to grab the lead back for good.

Cindric's victory at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park clinched one of the eight playoff positions up for grabs. His postseason run included four top-five finishes (second at Texas) and no worse than 10th place (Martinsville). He finished third in the final standings. Brad Keselowski Racing teammate Chase Briscoe also made the 2017 playoffs.

Cindric made his Xfinity Series debut in the 2017 Johnsonville 180 at Road America. He wheeled to a 16th-place finish despite starting from the front for Team Penske. His father Tim (right) is the president of Team Penske.

On the brink of elimination at Phoenix, the young driver raced hard and made contact with Ben Rhodes (playoff driver) with less than 21 laps to go. Rhodes collided with ThorSport teammate Matt Crafton and was forced to exit the race. Cindric took heat after the late-race decision, but said he only had one thing on his mind -- a chance for a championship in Miami.

Season in review, by the numbers:
Points: 4,032
Wins: One (Canadian Tire)
Top-five finishes: Eight
Top-10 finishes: 16
Average finish: 10.2

Cindric (pictured with Ryan Blaney) will take the next step in his career for the 2018 season. In November, Roush Fenway Racing announced Cindric, Briscoe and Ty Majeski will field the No. 60 Ford in the Xfinity Series. The trio will compete for the owner's championship for Roush Fenway Racing.