Penske NASCAR champ says “we’ve got to move forward” after IndyCar scandal

The recent attenuator controversy at the Indy 500 has shaken the very foundation of Team Penske. Three senior executives from IndyCar have been dismissed as a result and two of its three IndyCar teams were penalized. But how does this impact the NASCAR side of the Penske garage?

Penske fields three full-time cars in the Cup Series with Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano and Austin Cindric. The NASCAR operation has won the last three consecutive Cup Series titles and are competing in the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Logano: “Obviously, it’s going to (impact us)”

When asked about the IndyCar situation, three-time and defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Logano said “we’re all one team” at Penske. For example of that, just look at the paint schemes this weekend, as both Logano and Indy 500 starter Scott McLaughlin will run identical ‘yellow submarine’ liveries with Pennzoil sponsorship. 

He continued: “That’s the way I’ve always viewed it. That’s why we love to support what the IndyCar guys are doing every week and vice versa. We’re in the same building, so there are some shared pieces there. When we go to whatever manufacturing, engineering, those type of things, there are some shared people there. When we see something like that, yeah, does it impact us? Obviously, it’s going to.”

Roger Penske spoke directly on the issue in an exclusive interview with IndyCar on FOX earlier this week, giving a candid take on what transpired and the decision to release three key members of the organization. Logano believes he summed it up well, and revealed that Penske visited with the entire race team following the controversy. 

“I think Roger’s comments during the sitdown with Jamie (Little) was everything we needed to hear,” said Logano. “Roger came down to visit all of us. He visited drivers and crew chiefs, but then visited the whole team in a Roger type, was as you would expect. At this point, it’s unfortunate, but we’ve got to move forward. It’s something that happened and we’ve got to stay out the windshield as Roger always says.”

Austin Cindric on personal vs. professional life

But it’s likely more difficult for Austin, who has a familial connection to the IndyCar scandal as his father Tim Cindric, who has been with Penske since 1999, was among those who were dismissed by Roger on Wednesday.

Answering a question from NBC’s Dustin Long in a media scrum on Saturday, Cindric gave his thoughts on the topic. “When family is involved, you gotta understand it from both sides,” said Cindric. “From every step of the way since I started racing for the team in 2018, I feel like between myself, my pops, Roger and most involved — I feel like we’ve done a pretty good job of separating personal life and professional life and I see this as no different.

“Racing can be a cruel industry. It can be an incredibly rewarding industry and past that, it’s not something I have weighing on me heavily for this weekend. And for my pops, I love my dad and that’s kind of about all I’ll have to say about it.

In the Coke 600, Cindric is the highest-qualifying Penske driver in 14th. Logano will start 16th and Blaney 21st. On the IndyCar side, McLaughlin will start tenth for the 109th running of the Indy 500 while Josef Newarden will be 32nd and Will Power 33rd (last) after their penalties.