Recently, when Team Penske was invited to the White House in Washington, DC, Roger Penske brought a lineup of drivers and race cars from NASCAR, IndyCar, and IMSA. The gathering included Josef Newgarden, Nick Tandy, Felipe Nasr, and Laurens Vanthoor, along with the 2023 and 2024 NASCAR Cup Series champions Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano, who brought along his #22 Penske Ford Mustang. However, Austin Cindric was absent, the third driver from the NASCAR Team Penske Cup team.
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Known for his unwillingness, Cindric is not one to seek the limelight, preferring the solitude of his own company, viewing socializing with competitors off the track as a “competitive distraction.”
He is firm on keeping professional boundaries, choosing to share camaraderie exclusively with his teammates. Despite these things, his absence at such a big event raised eyebrows and sparked curiosity among NASCAR fans regarding his political inclinations.
When Bob Pockrass reposted the image from the previous day’s event, the comments section erupted with NASCAR fans speculating about Austin Cindric’s political stance. One fan expressed surprise, commenting, “Cindric being a liberal king was not on my bucket list.”
Another chimed in, supporting Cindric as their top pick among Penske drivers, stating, “I knew cindric was a good pick for favorite penske driver.”
Meanwhile, a fan speculated, “Cindric a flaming democrat?” suggesting a strong political affiliation. A detractor of Trump showed admiration, stating, “@AustinCindric is a Champ in my heart.”
Penske drivers at The White House today. https://t.co/rCxhKmVxKk
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 9, 2025
Additionally, one fan broadened the inquiry to include IndyCar’s Scott McLaughlin, expressing curiosity about both drivers’ absence: “Awesome. Oval office visits are a privilege regardless of party. Where is Scotty M. ? Cindric?”
However, his absence from such a high-profile event might be tied to a response he gave during a 2020 interview with Jeff Gluck. When asked about his political leanings during the 12 Questions segment back then, Cindric made it clear that politics wasn’t his arena.
He expressed, “There are obviously a lot of assumptions and problems that go with it,” emphasizing his disinterest in the political sphere.
Amidst discussions of the White House visit, a potential news emerged concerning former President Trump’s attendance at the upcoming 109th Indianapolis 500. Trump hinted at his possible presence, remarking, “I’ll have to get there … maybe this year, with you,” to which Penske extended an “open invitation.”
With Kyle Larson also getting ready for the event, it’d be interesting to who Trump might root for given he has always talked about his fondness toward NASCAR — will it be a NASCAR icon trying their hand at IndyCar or a seasoned veteran of the Indy circuit?
