August 16, 2013 – Story By Tom Baker – Nestled away in a small but efficient race shop in the heart of NASCAR country (Mooresville, N.C.) is a team learning the ropes in the highly competitive USF2000 Series, step one on Mazda’s “Road to Indy” program.
The driver is 14-year-old Austin Cindric and he bears watching as he climbs the motorsports ladder.
Austin’s father Tim is the President of Penske Racing. Tim’s boss is Roger Penske, one of motorsports’ most prolific and well-respected car owners. Austin grew up in the Reading, Pennsylvania area and moved south when Mr. Penske combined his IndyCar, NASCAR and Sports Car operations into one shop in the Mooresville area.
The Cindrics’ have their own shop for young Austin’s motorsports endeavors as well as a full time mechanic. When RaceChaser Online’s Senior Editor Tom Baker caught up with Austin, he had returned from Mid-Ohio where he scored his first ever top ten finish in the USF2000 series. Tom talked with Austin about what it was like growing up around the Penske IndyCar operation in Reading, his start in Bandolero cars, his transition this year from Legends Cars to the exotic open-wheel machine he drivers now and whether or not he intends to stay on the open wheel path and follow Mazda’s road all the way to IndyCar.
You can check out the conversation Tom had with this humble young open-wheel racer by clicking on the link! Aug152013AustinCindric