LEXINGTON, Ohio – Austin Cindric came within a whisker of winning Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Rock and Roll Tequila 170 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and locking himself into the playoffs.

Unfortunately for Cindric, a late-race battle with Justin Allgaier got the better of the series rookie and left him just short of a breakthrough Xfinity Series victory for Team Penske.

Wheeling the No. 22 Ford for Team Penske, Cindric was a force to be reckoned with all day, qualifying on the pole and winning the second stage of Saturday’s 75-lap race. Though pit strategy shuffled him back for the start of the final stage, Cindric stayed patient and picked his way back to the front.

Cindric passed Andy Lally for the race lead with 26 to go and appeared to be in the cat-bird’s seat at that juncture, but Allgaier – who spun during the race and then took fresher tires under the final caution with eight laps remaining – was on a mission to play spoiler.

The duo engaged in a fierce tug-of-war for the victory in the final stages of the event, with Allgaier ultimately making the definitive pass with three to go and driving away from Cindric, who just couldn’t keep pace on his older Goodyear rubber.

Though Cindric’s finish on Saturday was his career-best mark in 22 Xfinity Series starts, it was still bittersweet for the 19-year-old, who led a race-high 59 laps and had the dominant car.

“It was a big points day for me, but it’s too bad (that) we couldn’t capitalize with such a dominant car,” Cindric said. “At least I didn’t get out-drove or beaten because I didn’t save enough tires. We did everything we could and controlled everything we could control, and that’s all you can ask for in a series as tough as this one. Getting a stage win was huge; I just wish we could have closed it out.”

Still, Cindric was pleased with his team’s performance and the strides they’ve made as a group.

“We executed on every restart today. (Justin) Allgaier was probably second-best to us, I feel like, for most of the weekend,” noted Cindric. “I had every opportunity to shove him off the track, but I didn’t need the win that badly and didn’t want to do it that way and have it come back on me later.

“Today is a sign of huge progress for us at the right time and I think there’s more days like this ahead.”

With a runner-up finish in the bank, Cindric is already looking ahead to what he might be able to do in the run towards the Xfinity Series championship.

Even after missing out on the victory, Cindric still sits ninth in regular season points and more than 100 markers clear of the cutoff line, putting him in solid position to be able to chase the title as a rookie.

“This makes me excited for the playoffs,” he continued. “If we keep showing this kind of speed, I believe that we’re a team that can make a run at the Championship 4, and that’s the goal we’re shooting for.”