Austin Cindric turned his first laps in Gen3 Supercars earlier today, marking the start of a crucial preparation phase before he makes his championship debut at the Adelaide Parklands Circuit later this month. The NASCAR Cup Series regular is in Australia for Tickford Racing’s wildcard program.Cindric arrives with an uncommon level of familiarity for a NASCAR driver entering Supercars. He has kept close tabs on the series for years and even considered it as a possible full-time route before stock cars took over his career. He has some Australian mileage as well, having sampled a Gen2 Supercar and raced in the Bathurst 12 Hour back in 2015. That background helps, but it only goes so far now that he is preparing for a full-field debut against the top touring car drivers.Cindric's first turns in Tickford’s Armor All-backed No. 5 Mustang came during a shakedown at Sandown. For him, the session was a chance to bring his prep work to life and understand the fundamentals before he heads to The Bend for a two-day test. And it did not take long for him to draw direct comparisons between the Gen3 Mustang and the Next Gen Cup car he races weekly.“It drives a lot better,” Cindric told V8 Sleuth after stepping out of the car. “Well, it’s got more over-body downforce. Even just by looking at the car, it’s a lighter car, grippier tyre, so all the things it does better. A lot of similar concepts as far as the limitations of the car, the rear grip under braking, a number of other things.”Austin Cindric explained that the behavior over kerbs highlights the biggest difference.“It’s comparable but the current generation Cup car is a lot more rigid. Like, I’ve really had to talk myself into using the kerb as much as I can with this car. Yeah, it has a bigger effect on the driver but the car still stays gripped up, whereas if I hit some of these kerbs in a Cup car I’d be in the blue tent.”Shane van Gisbergen, the most recent crossover from Supercars to NASCAR, showed the value of that background with five road-course wins in the 2025 Cup Series. He left Supercars in 2022, feeling that “the V8s had gotten a little stale,” but his success has set a benchmark for drivers moving between the two series.Austin Cindric’s immediate target was to arrive at Adelaide ready. His laps at Sandown helped him understand braking zones, kerb usage, and the car’s rhythm, but he knows his two-day test at The Bend will carry greater weight. From there, everything leads to his first competitive outing on November 27.Austin Cindric leans on Scott McLaughlin’s guidance ahead of Supercars debut at AdelaideAustin Cindric's (#6 Monster Castrol Racing Ford Mustang GT) co-driver Mark Winterbottom before the Penrite Oil Sandown 500. Source: GettyAustin Cindric brings some experience with Australian supercars, but all those runs came close to a decade ago. Now a Team Penske driver, he needed a deeper understanding to be competitive in Adelaide, and he’s turned to three-time Supercars champion and his Penske stablemate, Scott McLaughlin.“He has texted me every single day,” Cindric told V8 Sleuth. “I think he is as excited about this as much as I am. He has been really cool, I’ve quizzed him a ton on Adelaide… He’s like, ‘man, I’m going to stay up and watch the race, text me after every session. If they let you send me data, send me data, I want to help as much as I can. That’s been really cool. Scott is a great teammate.”Scott McLaughlin’s presence matters. The Kiwi earned 56 Supercars race wins and three consecutive championships before switching to IndyCar in 2021. Few drivers understand the nuances of Adelaide’s street circuit better, and even fewer can guide a NASCAR regular through the transition as effectively. For Austin Cindric, that support may prove vital.