Austin Cindric explains preparation as late replacement for Rolex 24 at Daytona

The Rolex 24 at Daytona has gone through its final practice session of the week. All that’s left really is to start the race tomorrow. Austin Cindric is a late entry in Daytona for Ford in the GTD Pro class, and it has made his NASCAR offseason a bit shorter and a lot busier.

Austin Cindric didn’t think he would have to be in Daytona for another three weeks. But when Ben Barker broke his collarbone while skiing, Ford called on the Team Penske driver to fill-in.

Austin Cindric has competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona five times previously. Before his first Rolex 24 he had competed in the Roar Before the 24.

When he was picked as the replacement, Cindric had to cut his offseason a bit short. There is a ton of prep that goes into a 24-hour race. Cindric said as much to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports.

“Yeah late add to the schedule and has definitely made January pretty busy for me, but nonetheless it’s a race that I’m super passionate about. It will be interesting to see kind of where we stack up, practice and qualifying and all that. I really like my codrivers, it’s a team that I’ve worked with a lot. Obviously, a pretty close relationship with Ford Performance. So, it’s a perfect fit for me and given the circumstances coming in for, unfortunately, for a guy who was injured over the course of the holidays, you know, it’s been pretty fun.”

With his road course skill in NASCAR, Cindric is a solid choice for Ford. While he has had a bit of a struggle in the Cup Series, he has a number of wins in the Truck Series and Xfinity Series on road courses.

Austin Cindric’s team starting on pole

It doesn’t hurt that Mike Rockenfeller put Austin Cindric’s team on the pole for the Rolex 24. They will lead the GTD Pro field to green. It is going to be a long and arduous 24 hours. The Ford Mustang was moving with Rockenfeller behind the wheel, more than three-tenths clear of P2.

For Cindric, this is a nice tuneup for the Daytona 500. Get back behind the wheel, feel the blood pumping and the thrill of competition. Cindric is hoping to add a second Daytona 50 championship to his name.

Team Penske has had a lot of success recently. Not just in the way they have won three straight Cup Series championships. They were dominant across all forms of motorsports where they compete. Penske will once again race for the overall win in the GTP class at Daytona.

Meanwhile, Austin Cindric will attempt to start his 2025 season with a class win. He’s got a quick car, now he and his team have to put it together for 24 hours.