Off the back of the Sandown 500, Tickford Racing took the opportunity to unveil the NASCAR star’s #5 Armour All Ford Mustang that he will race at the BP Adelaide Grand Final.
Cindric joined Tickford co-drivers James Moffat and Lochie Dalton for the ride day.
The American completed a handful of solo laps before spending the rest of Monday taking passengers around the Melbourne circuit.
It’s the first chance for Cindric to get his taste behind the wheel before a proper test at The Bend Motorsport Park ahead of the Adelaide season finale.
Speaking with select media after his first laps, Cindric labelled the circumstances “really weird” but enjoyable.
“I would have figured the team would have jokingly told people that they’re getting in a car with somebody who’s driven five laps,” Cindric told Speedcafe.
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“But I’ve given up on trying to even scare people in that sense. It’s become normal enough to where I have to remind myself that I have somebody sitting next to me, so you only really realise it until like, ‘Oh, I missed that apex. I wonder if they noticed’. It’s cool to see the reaction.”
Cindric said the Supercars are friendlier than the NASCAR Cup Series stock cars he’s accustomed to.
The current Gen3 car weighs 1335kg whereas the Next Gen that Cindric races week in, week out weighs 1450kg.
“It drives a lot better,” Cindric said of the Gen3-spec Supercar.
“It’s got more overbody downforce – just even by looking at the car. It’s a lighter car, grippier tyre, so all the things it does better.
“It does combined loading better, but a lot of the similar concepts as far as limitations of the car, the rear grip under braking and a number of other things, but yeah, it’s comparable.
“The current generation Cup car is a lot more rigid. Like I’ve really had to talk myself into using the kerb as much as I can with this car.
“It has a bigger effect on the driver, but the car still stays gripped up, whereas if I hit some of these kerbs in the Cup car, I’d be in the blue tent.”
Cindric’s first laps of Sandown are focused on getting comfortable in his Ford Mustang and his team.
Even with no timing, the added complication of passengers, and limitations on consecutive laps, Cindric said there is still a lot he can learn.
“I think in a lot of ways quite a bit of what I expected,” said Cindric.
“But it’s good to feel it out and put everything that I’ve done prep work-wise, have a feel for it and really be able to put some relevancy behind some of the questions that I may or may not have and work on some of the techniques.
“I think I’m at that point where you’re trying to work on best practices. I have no idea where the tyres are, we don’t have lap times or a beacon. That’s not what today’s all about, but I feel good.
“I feel like I’ve gotten up to speed well. I probably need to continue to ramp up. I think the brake zones are the biggest piece, just being able to maximise those and from there, whether that’s technique or best practices like I said, or trying to understand the track as well.”
And as for whether he has made the switch to left foot braking already?
“My left foot has only touched the clutch pedal and the dead pedal,” Cindric confirmed.
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