“One of the best opportunities”: Team Penske’s star Austin Cindric set to join Ford lineup for the iconic Daytona endurance race 

Austin Cindric, the driver of the #2 for Team Penske, will be driving the #64 for Ford Multimatic Motorsports in Daytona. He has called it "one of the best opportunities" to drive for the team later this month.

Cindric is one of the rising stars of NASCAR and is known for his adaptability and composure during high-pressure situations. Born on September 2nd, 1998 in Columbus, Ohio, to Tim Cindric, the president of Team Penske, he followed in his father's footsteps and joined the NASCAR racing community. The 26-year-old is the 2022 Daytona 500 race winner and the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion.

This will be his sixth appearance in the Rolex 24 where his best finish is fifth place (twice), one in 2019 for Vasser Sullivan and the other in 2023 for Rick Ware racing. Cindric will be replacing the regular #64 driver, Ben Barker who got injured in a skiiing accident and broke his collarbone.

"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," Austin Cindric said in a press release.

Cindric also wished the recovering driver well and is determined to give Ford Multimatic Motorsports the best possible start. He continued:

"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 has extensive GT3 experience including competing for the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge with K-Pax racing and multiple IMSA starts in GT3 machinery. Cindric will be joining Sebastian Priaulx and Mike Rockenfeller in the dugout for the team.

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Austin Cindric’s help contributed to Joey Logano’s third Cup Series championship

Austin Cindric's pit crew member helped Joey Logano win his third NASCAR Cup Series championship by replacing Logano's jackman due to a health issue during the championship race at Phoenix Raceway.

Logano drives the No. 22 Ford Mustang, while Cindric pilots the No. 2 car, both for Team Penske. Before the crew member replacement, Logano had won stage 1 and teammate Ryan Blaney had won stage 2. Logano crossed the line first in stage 3 and ultimately won the championship, beating Blaney by 0.330 seconds.

For the 2025 season, Team Penske will retain its lineup of Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano and hope to dominate the season, just like it did in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series.