Team Penske driver Austin Cindric will kick off his racing season with a prestigious event. He will join Multimatic Motorsports for his return to the Rolex 24.
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Cindric was a late addition to the entry list. According to a press release, he will be a substitute driver for Multimatic Motorsports as he replaces Ben Barker, who broke his collarbone while skiing. Cindric will join Mike Rockenfeller and Sebastian Priaulx in the No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3.
The 2025 season will mark Cindric's sixth time competing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. He made his debut in the endurance race in 2017 with 3GT Racing and then he returned in 2018-19, 2022-23). Cindric's best finishes in the Rolex 24 were fifth in 2019 and '22.
"The 24 Hours of Daytona has become a very meaningful event for me and my career," Cindric said in a press release. "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.
"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 a win at Daytona in the Cup Series. He won the Daytona 500 in 2022 as a rookie driver. He also won the 2020 Daytona Road Course Xfinity Series race after starting from the pole.
The trip to Florida for the Rolex 24 marks a reunion for Cindric, who competed in sports car racing before moving to NASCAR. He drove for Multimatic Motorsports in the Michelin Pilot Challenge as a 16-year-old.
"It is a real shame for Ben and for the team that he will miss Daytona, but accidents happen. He is already on the mend and will be back in action soon," said Pascal Zurlinden, Executive Vice President, Multimatic Engineering & Special Vehicle Operations.
"We're delighted to welcome Austin back to the team and we are sure he will do an excellent job, as he has always done for us."
