Fulltime NASCAR Cup Series competitor and 2022 Daytona 500 champion Austin Cindric wasn’t expecting to have a shot at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona this weekend. He wasn’t even on the roster until he was called in to drive the No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3 alongside Mike Rockenfeller and Sebastian Priaulx, subbing for the injured Ben Barker in one of endurance racing’s most prestigious events. As it turns out, his brief run with Ford’s Multimatic Motorsports could be the best chance he’ll ever have to add a Rolex watch trophy to his collection.
Speaking to Sportscar365, Cindric reflected on the call-up to take Barker’s place on the roster. While he’s run the Rolex 24 five times, he says that he thinks the Ford Mustang GT3 is one of the more competitive vehicles on the grid, and he expects great things from the Dark Horse-based racer.
“I’m very, very grateful to have the opportunity and the call-up,” Cindric said in an interview with Sportscar365. “I’ve done the race five times. This will be the sixth, but learning a new car and being enveloped in such a significant program, it’s got to be one of the best opportunities I’ve had here to come and win in such a top team.”
He lamented his past runs in the Rolex 24, saying, “The last four times I’ve done this race, I’ve either finished fifth or sixth, so I’m tired of that. I’d like to go bring home a watch and I know everybody else here would as well.”
Cindric’s most recent start in the Rolex 24 was in 2023, when he raced for Rick Ware Racing in the LMP2 class, driving a Oreca 07 Gibson. He last competed in the GT3 division in 2022, where he drove a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo fielded by Proton Competition. Should he become a class winner in the 2025 Rolex 24, Cindric would join an elite list of drivers who have won both the Daytona 500 and the 24-hour race at the same track, standing beside Mario Andretti, AJ Foyt, Jeff Gordon and Jamie McMurray.
The Daytona 24 is scheduled for January 23rd through 26th, 2025.
Comment
GREAT start – his Multimatic Mustang qualified number one in PRO with Rockenfeller setting the fast time. And the other Multimatic Mustang qualified second!! The Vettes were 4th and 6th.