“Did it for the them”: Penske’s Austin Cindric admits the unconventional inspiration behind his makeover

Austin Cindric surprised NASCAR fans when he welcomed 2025 with a new look highlighted by a moustache. However, Cindric shortly shaved the facial hair and admitted he only did it for the memes.

Cindric is a 26-year-old NASCAR Cup Series driver under Team Penske. Fans thought the driver would keep the look for the rest of the season but at least he changed his social media profile picture with the stache.

The North Carolina native took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his thoughts on his makeover. While he was entertained by the support he got for the mustache, he decided to bring back the old look ahead of the 2025 season.

"Did it for the memes and a new profile pic. The reviews were highly entertaining. Happy to have my face back," Cindric wrote.

One of his fellow NASCAR competitors, Chase Briscoe, jokingly asked him on Instagram if he was Dale Earnhardt Sr. Meanwhile, IndyCar-Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin approved of the moustache, saying he loved the look on Cindric.

Austin Cindric ended the 2024 season with one win at the World Wide Technology Raceway in June ahead of Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski. He also amassed four top-5 and seven top-10 finishes.

The 2022 Daytona 500 winner will enter the new season without the short-lived yet adored moustache look. He will return to the No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang alongside the No. 22 Ford of Joey Logano and the No. 12 car of Ryan Blaney.

The 2025 season will mark Team Penske's third consecutive year as defending champions.

Austin Cindric drives the No. 2 Ford for Team Penske - Source: Imagn

Cindric will look to score his second Daytona 500 win in the season opener on February 16.

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Austin Cindric set to race in Rolex 24

Before NASCAR returns to the Daytona International Speedway, Austin Cindric will be back on the track for the Rolex 24. He will drive the No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3 for Ford Multimatic Motorsports as a substitute for the Blue Oval brand's factory driver, Ben Barker.

Barker suffered an injury after breaking his collar bone during a skiing trip over the holidays.

In a statement, Cindric believes the Rolex 24 entry is one of the best opportunities he had, saying:

"The 24 Hours of Daytona has become a very meaningful event for me and my career...This will be my sixth opportunity to run this race, and with the Ford Mustang GT3, it’s one of the best opportunities I’ll have had at taking one of those watches home."

The 26-year-old also wished his fellow Ford driver a speedy recovery.

"It’s important that I wish Ben all the best in his recovery as I get to keep his seat warm. I'm keen to do my part in contributing to a great result, but also representing Multimatic and Ford properly as they start their season in IMSA," Cindric added.

Austin Cindric in last year's season finale at Phoenix Raceway - Source: Imagn

Cindric is no stranger to IMSA. The upcoming entry will mark his sixth appearance in the American enduro race held at Daytona's roval course.