Cindric has spent much time planning for a safe return to work based on the COVID-19 pandemic. That has meant a dramatically different approach to how the team works at the shop.
“It’s been frustrating for many, but it’s a part of life now, as everybody understands,” Cindric explained. “We’ve chosen at this point to work in shifts rather than have our entire workforce together. You have to remember we have almost 500 people in the building on a normal basis, so we’ve really been working to maybe a third of the workforce, on any given day, split into shifts.
“Our shifts have been six-hour shifts, so we’ve been working from 6 a.m. to noon, and then we’ve taken a two-hour break for sanitization and so forth, and then we’ve worked from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a different shift. That’s been across the board through all of our teams, and we’ll continue that process here for the foreseeable future, and really it helps us maybe take less risk with our people but also put ourselves in a position to where we’re not as vulnerable should someone get infected.”
Many of the IndyCar teams based in Indianapolis will be part of an organized charter flight. After passing a medical check, they will board the flight and leave around 6 a.m. The charter will land at Alliance Airport near Texas Motor Speedway and undergo another medical check before being allowed into the track.
What follows will be a full day of practice, qualifying and the race. The return flight to Indianapolis leaves a few hours after the conclusion of the race with an expected return after 2 a.m.
Team Penske will leave from Statesville, N.C., with the team congregating at 4 a.m. for the medical check followed by the flight to Alliance and another medical check to enter the speedway. Team Penske expects to return to the Statesville airport around 4 a.m.
“The drivers are taking a different approach,” Cindric said. “The drivers are going in early just so that they get a decent night’s sleep there and can get acclimated. The team, we’re going to leave before the sun comes up for sure, go through all of our screenings and protocols before we take off, and then go through that process just to get into the race track. It’s going to be a long day without a doubt but wouldn’t trade it.
“I don’t want to be home on Saturday. I’d much rather be at Texas.”