After every storm comes a rainbow, and for one of Roger Penske’s former presidents, that rainbow has finally appeared. If you have been following the drama surrounding Penske’s IndyCar team this year, you know about Tim Cindric’s sudden departure. After dedicating more than 30 years to the team, Cindric saw himself at the exit door after the Indianapolis 500 earlier this year. Two Team Penske cars were found with illegally modified rear attenuators, a spec-mandated safety part. And ever since his dismissal, the 57-year-old has found ground.

Tim Cindric plans out his comeback

The unexpected break actually turned out to be a blessing for the former president of Penske Racing Inc. Speaking to RACER, Cindric was more than happy to share his views.

“You know, I’ve just been catching up on life,” Cindric said with a chuckle. “I’ve had some interesting inquiries within and outside of motorsport, but I haven’t committed anything yet to speak of. It’s just the way it is. There’s certainly more to life than motorsport. I’m finding out that’s all I’ve done all my life. But I’m open-minded to interesting inquiries within and outside of motorsport.”

It’s no secret that the Indianapolis native will be back on his feet again. Just take a look at his résumé. From running Rahal’s CART IndyCar team, leading Roger Penske’s program, and switching series from CART to the IndyCar Racing league. He’s been at the center of innumerable racing milestones.

But for now, he isn’t having any of that. Free from constant travelling and around-the-clock commitments, the 57-year-old has embraced a quieter life.

“You know, I have a few other business interests that occupy some of my time, but they’re really nothing worth talking about,” Cindric added with a grin. “So, it’s not a whole lot going on as far as the motorsport world’s concerned. Like I said, I’m open to it, but I’ll probably be pretty selective to what I get myself into next.”

Over the years, his scope expanded internationally, including DJR Team Penske’s Australian supercar campaigns and later the Porsche 963 hypercar program. By the end of 2024, the relentless pace finally caught up to him.

He approached Penske about stepping back, and a compromise was struck. This year, he would focus primarily on running Penske’s IndyCar program, leaving day-to-day operations in the hands of trusted colleagues.

While his son Austin races in Adelaide in the supercar series, Tim stayed home in Ohio to enjoy Thanksgiving with family, something that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago.

To him, the real gift in the past 6 months has been that of downshifting, slowing down, and taking the time to just be. But with the father enjoying the downtime, the younger Cindric was in a bit of a pickle.

Austin Cindric finds trouble in Supercar’s debut

Team Penske driver Austin Cindric was more than excited to make his debut in Adelaide, but the weekend got off to a tricky start when he ran into trouble at the circuit’s notorious turn 8.

The 27-year-old, who claimed the Cup Series win this year in the April Talladega race, tackled a demanding 30-minute Supercars practice session that tested every driver on the grid. Racing for Tickford Racing’s wild card program, Cindric is gearing up for his first championship weekend in the series.

He showed flashes of promise but admitted to overstepping at Turn 8. “I left two and a half tenths at Turn 8, just trying to be a hero, so I did that early in the weekend. We won’t talk about that,” Cindric said.

Overall, it was a productive day, and he’s looking forward to the rest of the weekend.

“That was a solid first day,” he told V8Sleuth. “It was a good way to ease things into it, and I just wanted to do all the laps and continue to remind myself that I have all the way until Sunday to continue to improve, so try to be somewhat patient about it. ”

Cindric ultimately parked his car 23rd on the timesheets, but he did manage to outpace two-time champion Jack Le Brocq, giving him a confidence boost heading into the weekend.