In 2022, Austin Cindric not only won the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR in his rookie season, but he also cemented his legacy as a driver on the rise. However, his journey with the sport started even before he made his first Cup appearance. This was not a tale of inherited privilege, even if his father, Tim Cindric, a powerful executive at Team Penske at the time, was in the grandstand. It was a tale of measured risk-taking, unrelenting planning, and a quiet fortitude that has come to characterize Austin’s journey.
But a single race or last name can’t adequately capture Cindric’s journey. He has had to overcome the stigma of nepotism, adjust to the demands of oval warfare and road course precision, and endure the intense strain of taking Brad Keselowski’s place as the No. 2 Ford Mustang’s driver. A picture of a driver whose story is still being written but whose initial chapters have already defied expectations comes to light. Now, when times are toughest within the family, Cindric opens up on how it has affected him as a racecar driver.
“Business as usual” – Austin Cindric after father’s exit from IndyCar leadership
Following a cheating incident involving Team Penske’s vehicles, IndyCar owner Roger Penske fired IndyCar Team president Tim Cindric in a major leadership change. The discovery of illegal modifications on the rear attenuators of vehicles piloted by Will Power and Josef Newgarden during pre-qualifying inspections for the 2025 Indianapolis 500 led to this judgment being made. Both drivers were fined and placed at the back of the starting grid because of the changes, which were made in an attempt to improve aerodynamics.
Now, despite the recent leadership change at IndyCar making headlines, Austin Cindric claims his job hasn’t been affected one bit. There have been concerns raised regarding whether Austin’s spot in the No. 2 Ford may be impacted, however, Tim Cindric left Penske operations even before the Cup season started, and has been at IndyCar for all of this season, and Austin was candid about his stance on the ordeal.
Cindric told Frontstretch ahead of the Coca-Cola 600, “Professionally, I’m in no different place than I was a week ago. I feel like we have a lot of momentum right now on the 2 car. I’ve never felt better, I’ve never had a better start to the season. For me, I’m more focused on execution really. I feel like we’ve had really fast race cars and good opportunities.”
Cindric has already notched up a win in 2025, matching his tally from last season, and was the first Team Penske car to do so as well! His performance at Talladega was electric, and he has been a consistent threat for Penske on superspeedways, leading 106 laps at superspeedways (Daytona, Atlanta, and Talladega) this season. Yet, his place in the team is being questioned solely due to his father being such an influential figure, and this is when Austin had to remind everyone that his dad’s firing has no connection to his Team Penske routine.
“Professionally, I’m in no different place than a week ago.” –@AustinCindric on his Dad Tim’s exit from Team Penske. pic.twitter.com/uVEoEoFkTu
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) May 24, 2025
Austin Cindric added, “The interesting thing for me in my first three years in the Cup is, this was the first time I was actually in meetings with my dad. That ended at the beginning of this year. I feel there is only a personal connection to any of the news this week.” Before being fired from his IndyCar role, Tim Cindric voluntarily left his role as Team President at Team Penske at the start of 2025, and that didn’t seem to have any sort of negative impact on Austin’s performance, which is why the #2 driver feels no professional connection to the incident.
When asked if Roger Penske had given him any assurances that his future with the team was secure, Austin Cindric was direct. “I don’t think it was even in question. Their support has been very strong and also very transparent. When I’ve not performed at my best and we’ve had those conversations, it is business as usual for me,” he stated. Throughout his career, Cindric has been plagued by the dynamic of being a second-generation figure in the Penske system, but he has consistently insisted that his position was won via skill rather than privilege.
The 25-year-old didn’t flinch. His message: it’s about results, not relationships. Away from the racetrack, he said his family isn’t hovering over the situation either. “Yeah, I’m not sure they worry a ton about me. I mean, we had dinner Wednesday night as a family, but past that, it’s just business as usual. They trust me, they know if I have anything to talk about, I’ll come talk to them. It’s as simple,” he said. With his strongest Cup start to date and Penske’s support intact, Cindric’s focus remains on staying competitive and focusing on a strong run in 2025, one clean, quiet result at a time.
Roger Penske’s IndyCar mess
Having been a member of Team Penske since 1999, Tim Cindric had already served two suspensions in 2024 for a different incident involving the unlawful usage of the push-to-pass technology. In that instance, an internal review determined that the problem was caused by a breakdown in internal procedures and a misunderstanding, but the backlash was immense.
The recent firings, which also included IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski and general manager Kyle Moyer, reflect Penske’s commitment to maintaining integrity within the sport. “I recognize the magnitude of what occurred and the impact it continues to have on the sport to which I’ve dedicated so many decades,” Roger Penske stated, emphasizing the importance of accountability.
The dismissals have garnered reactions from the racing community. IndyCar president Doug Boles acknowledged the oversight in technical inspections, stating, “Absolutely, it’s a miss” that Team Penske wasn’t caught sooner. Rival team owner Michael Andretti expressed disappointment over the delay in addressing the issue, noting, “If I were in that position, I probably would have fired [Tim Cindric].”
Even though he took a break from Team Penske duties earlier in 2025, Cindric continued to play a key role in the team’s IndyCar endeavors. Rebuilding trust and making sure that racing rules are followed are challenges that Team Penske must overcome as it goes forward. The event emphasizes the need for strict regulation and the repercussions of violations of the sport’s rules. However, debate rages on whether Penske’s decision was an overreaction or not. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
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