Austin Cindric focuses on racing after Penske controversy as he prepares for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, just days after Team Penske faced internal upheaval following a high-profile rules violation. Overcoming both personal and professional challenges, Cindric is determined to keep the team’s momentum going while navigating the fallout from recent events involving his family and colleagues.
Penske’s Internal Shakeup Impacts Drivers and Staff
Team Penske found itself at the center of attention this week after a second major rules infraction in the IndyCar Series surfaced, with the most recent violation linked to an unauthorized alteration of a car safety feature at Indianapolis. This incident followed an earlier push-to-pass controversy within the team, bringing added scrutiny because Penske owns not only the racing team but also the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As a result, concern about fairness among competitors intensified.
The organization responded decisively, leading to the dismissal of several staff members, including Tim Cindric—Austin’s father—who had been part of Team Penske since 1999. This move sent shockwaves through the organization and the racing community, as Austin Cindric was forced to process the situation from both a family and professional perspective.
“Racing can be a cruel industry,”
Cindric reflected on Saturday.
“It (also) can be an incredibly rewarding industry.”
—Austin Cindric, Driver
Despite the abrupt changes and personal stakes, Cindric has worked to separate the incident from his focus on the track. He explained,
“Professionally, I’m in no different place than I was a week ago.”
—Austin Cindric, Driver
Shifting Focus to the Track Ahead of the Coca-Cola 600
While Team Penske addresses its internal challenges, preparations for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 go forward. Cindric is set to start in 14th position, while his teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney begin at 16th and 21st, respectively. Both Logano and Cindric have recently celebrated victories—Cindric at Talladega and Logano at Texas—giving them optimism as they look toward this major NASCAR Cup Series race.
Cindric is feeling positive about his team’s current state.
“I feel like we have a lot of momentum on our team right now on the 2 car,”
he stated.
“I’ve never felt better. I’ve never had a better start to a season. For me, I’m just more focused on execution.”
—Austin Cindric, Driver
Roger Penske Maintains Direct Communication with the Team
In the wake of the controversy, Roger Penske took a hands-on approach. He visited the team’s shop in Mooresville, North Carolina, meeting with drivers, crew chiefs, and all staff to reinforce his vision and commitment. Ryan Blaney, who works closely with Penske, recognized his leadership role.
“When something like that happens and he wants to fly down to Charlotte and have a meeting with everybody, just to give us an understanding of his mindset and what they’re going to do moving forward and where their positioning is, that’s just kind of the leader you want. Someone who is in it with you, is a very open book as far as how he is feeling. As someone who works for him and drives for him, I expect nothing less because that’s just the type of person that Roger is and always has been.”
—Ryan Blaney, Driver
Team Members Value Stability Amid Change
The significant personnel changes at Team Penske raised questions about whether the organization’s NASCAR program would be affected, especially for drivers like Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano who are pushing for consistent performance during a critical stretch of the season. Blaney, however, dismissed concerns about any negative effects on the team’s dynamics.
“I’m not concerned that there could be any side effects to it as far as our team goes,”
he asserted. —Ryan Blaney, Driver
Similarly, Logano emphasized the need to learn and move ahead.
“At this point, it’s unfortunate, but we’ve got to move forward,”
he said.
“It’s something that happened and we’ve got to stay out the windshield as Roger always says.”
—Joey Logano, Driver
Looking Forward to Challenging for Victory
For Austin Cindric and his teammates, the goal remains unchanged: focus on performance and seize victory at the Coca-Cola 600. The recent turmoil has only reinforced their resolve to unite under Roger Penske’s leadership and strive for success in NASCAR’s marquee events. As the green flag approaches at Charlotte Motor Speedway, all eyes are on Cindric and Team Penske to see how they rebound from controversy and demonstrate their commitment to racing excellence.
