Tim Cindric Just Did EXACTLY What Roger Penske Feared after Chase Elliott Win on Start Race Day of Season!! (Or, How to Turn a Win Into a “Wait, What?”)

Oh, the Daytona 500! The Great American Race! A celebration of speed, skill, and… questionable decision-making? It appears Team Penske’s Tim Cindric decided to kick off the NASCAR season by doing precisely what his boss, Roger Penske, probably feared most: turning a Chase Elliott victory (well, almost) into a head-scratching moment of epic proportions.

Elliott, driving for Hendrick Motorsports (not Penske, mind you, which makes this even better), appeared to have the race in the bag. Victory was within reach. Champagne dreams were dancing in the air. And then… poof. Gone.

Enter Tim Cindric, the man in charge of other Penske drivers. Now, details are still a bit fuzzy, but it seems Cindric, in a move that can best be described as “strategically challenged,” may have inadvertently played a role in screwing up Elliott’s race. Reports suggest some… shall we say… miscommunication involving Cindric and his drivers might have led to some, uh, interesting racing tactics that ultimately benefited another driver (who, again, was not Chase Elliott).

The internet, of course, has exploded. #Cindriced is trending. Memes are flying. Conspiracy theories abound. Was it intentional? Was it accidental? Was it just a really, really bad day at the office? We may never know the truth.

What we do know is that Roger Penske is probably having a conversation with Mr. Cindric right about now. A conversation that may or may not involve the phrase “what were you thinking?” Repeatedly.

And Chase Elliott? Well, he’s probably wondering if he should have invested in a good luck charm. Or maybe just a better pit crew. Or maybe just a team owner who isn’t, you know, also managing rival drivers.

So, congratulations to… whoever actually won the race. (Honestly, at this point, who even cares?) The real story here is Tim Cindric and his uncanny ability to turn a potential victory into a masterclass in how not to manage a race. It’s going to be a long season, folks. And it seems like it’s already off to a delightfully chaotic start.