From Firing to Strategist: Cindric Returns to Penske

Tim Cindric has been rehired by Team Penske in a new capacity as Scott McLaughlin's race strategist for the 2026 IndyCar season. This comes after Cindric was one of three top executives fired by the organization in May for a technical infraction during the Indianapolis 500 qualifying. Cindric previously held the position of team president and served as strategist for Josef Newgarden. This new role is expected to be a weekend-focused position, allowing Cindric to leverage his extensive experience without the full pressure of managing a global team.

Jonathan Diuguid, the new team president, stated that Cindric's decades of experience will make him a great addition to the race day lineup. Scott McLaughlin expressed immense enthusiasm for the appointment, emphasizing Cindric's instrumental role in his journey to IndyCar and his long-standing desire to have Cindric on his timing stand. McLaughlin believes Cindric's expertise is world-class.