Who won the first NASCAR Cup Series race in the Next Gen car?

Austin Cindric won the first NASCAR Cup Series race contested with the Next Gen car.

Cindric captured the 2022 Daytona 500 on February 20, 2022, driving the No. 2 Ford Mustang for Team Penske. The race marked the competition debut of NASCAR's Next Gen car, which replaced the Gen-6 design and introduced major changes in chassis construction, aerodynamics, wheels, and manufacturer body styling.

A rookie, Cindric led 21 of the final 45 laps and held off teammate Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, and Bubba Wallace in a green-white-checkered finish. He beat Wallace to the line by 0.036 seconds, earning his first career Cup Series victory in NASCAR's most prestigious race.

The Daytona 500 was scheduled for 200 laps, but a late restart extended it to 201. Cindric's win was also Team Penske's second consecutive Daytona 500 victory, following teammate Joey Logano's 2015 triumph. Logano was among the prominent drivers competing in the new car, but Cindric became its first Cup winner.