Cindric says business as usual with NASCAR team after father's release from Penske

Austin Cindric stood tall Saturday in the Charlotte Motor Speedway media center and addressed every question about his father and what it means for his ride with Team Penske.

“Professionally, I’m in no different place than I was a week ago,” Cindric said about his job. “I feel like we have a lot of momentum on our team right now, on the [No.] 2 car. I’ve never felt better. I’ve never had a better start to a season, so for me, I’m more focused on execution. I feel like we’ve had some really fast race cars and some good opportunities.

“The interesting thing for me about my first three years in Cup is … I was actually in meetings with my dad. And that ended at the beginning of this year (when Tim Cindric stepped back as team president), so I feel like there really is only a personal connection to any of the news from this week.”

Tim Cindric was among three individuals who departed the organization earlier this week after violations were found with Josef Newgarden's and Will Power's cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Cindric had been a Penske employee since 1999.

Austin, meanwhile, is in his third season as a Cup Series driver for Penske. He has three career wins, including the Daytona 500 in 2022. He won the Xfinity Series championship for Penske in 2020.

Cindric answered with a succinct “correct” when asked about having a contract in place and continuing to drive for Penske. When later asked if he was given any reassurance from Penske about his status, Cindric said it was never a question.

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“Their support has always been very strong and very transparent,” Cindric said. “When I’ve not performed at my best, we’ve had those conversations. Past that, it’s business as usual for me.”

Joey Logano revealed Saturday that Penske not only did a media interview but also visited with his organization. That included the other teams in the organization, such as the NASCAR drivers and crew chiefs.

Cindric was in that meeting. It was a unique dynamic as a driver for the man who dismissed his father.

“Roger is a class act,” Cindric said. “That is why he has the reputation that he has, and he’s worked so hard to build. He didn’t just talk to the drivers; he talked to every employee in the building, and obviously he’s had to talk to a lot of folks all week. His time is pretty precious, especially this point in the year and this month and this week. Whether you have the situation or not, he’s still a busy guy.

“But he recognizes all the people involved, and there are so many who work so hard to have the success we have as a race team, so it doesn’t surprise me in the least.”

Cindric is an admitted fan of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis 500. He will be tuned in Sunday to watch as he does every year before competing in the Coca Cola 600. The events of this week were a case of Cindric having to understand both sides of the situation, even if family is involved.

“I feel like from every step of the way since I started racing for the team in 2018, between myself and my pops and Roger and most involved, we’ve done a pretty good job of separating personal life and professional life, and I see this as no different,” Cindric said. “Racing can be a cruel industry. It can be an incredibly rewarding industry. Past that, it’s not something that I have weighing on me heavily for this weekend.

“For my pops, I love my dad, and that’s about all I have to say on it.”