NASCAR’s always been a place where pranks and good-natured ribbing are just part of the deal. Whether it’s Tyler Reddick and his apprentices flooding Kevin Harvick’s motorhome with toilet paper or Ryan Blaney prank-calling Bubba Wallace to ask about his connection to Rusty Wallace, the fun’s never far behind. Sure, the pranks are still around, but these days, a lot of it has shifted to social media.

And here’s the best part: Anyone can now get in on the action, even fans. Recently, one driver caught everyone’s attention with his sharp sense of humor — and none other than Dale Earnhardt Jr. can’t get enough of it. Who’s the funny man of the hour?

Hilariously yours, Austin Cindric

All this started when Chase Briscoe posted about his new Xfinity Series sponsorship with Lance Snacks on X. He is running the Charlotte race in the Xfinity Series in 2025 and, his sponsor Lance Snacks is widely known for its crackers manufacturing. So, in true Cindric fashion, he couldn’t resist making a dad joke, nominating Briscoe for the “Cracker of the Year” award. But, the name of the award does not seem familiar, right?

If you’re wondering about the award’s origins, NFL receiver Antonio Brown is the mastermind behind these sarcastic “awards” that poke fun at celebrities. Briscoe getting tagged by Cendric on Brown’s post entertained a lot of comments on his comic demeanor. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was among them, appreciating his comedy timing. Dale Jr. later posted about his fellow driver with a new title for 2025.

But, this was not the first time Dale Jr. and Austin Cindric’s humorous banter has taken over the internet. Now, Cindric might not be the loudest guy in the room or the one always grabbing the headlines, but fans know the dude’s got jokes! Remember the toilet paper explosion inside Harvick’s motorhome? Well, Tyler Reddick’s main apprentice was Cindric. Junior’s banter with Cindric has previously left the former spellbound and laughing hard.

It all started when Cindric spun in the last few laps of the 19th Cup series race at Nashville Superspeedway 2024, triggering the overtime. Dale Jr. wasn’t shy about throwing in a metaphorical jab, saying, “None of this happens if Austin can get off turn 2 like he did for 398 miles.” Instead of defending himself, Cindric chose to play it cool with humor. He shared a meme that was a perfect retaliation for Junior’s comments, and honestly, that’s when probably Jr. became a fan of Austin Cindric’s sense of humor.

Maybe Dale’s become a bigger fan of Cindric, especially after Austin debuted a new look that’s been drawing comparisons to none other than Dale Sr. himself. With a fresh mustache for 2025, fans couldn’t help but point out the similarities to the iconic style of Earnhardt Sr.

But let’s be real, it’s not just the looks that have people talking about Cindric. He’s been all over the place lately, including a strong showing at the Rolex 24-hour race.

Austin Cindric’s podium finish at 24-hour Daytona 

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Cindric desperately wanted to be part of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. But with no rides available, he had settled for maybe attempting it in 2026. But that’s when Ben Barker of Ford Multimatic Motorsports’ #64 team had a ski accident. He was benched for a broken collarbone and Ford offered Cindric his spot. After a short time in practicing, Cindric hit the track.

Undoubtedly, the Ford team was the fastest on track. Cindric’s teammate, Mike Rockenfeller, took the pole in the GTD Pro class. And Austin Cindric finished 5.766 seconds behind in third place. Post the race, he said, “Yeah, it was obviously an amazing result for Ford. Cool to be part of it. Keep the car clean and end up with some hardware so good way to start the year.” 

Let’s hope this momentum continues into the 2025 NASCAR Cup season. Cindric will be running his 4th season for Team Penske. And after a decent 2024 season, expectations will be high for him. In the last season, he bagged one win, 4 top-5s, 7 top 10s, and ended up finishing the season in P11. It must be great pressure to keep up with Cup Champions as teammates. Cindric was the 2020 Xfinity Series champion too. So clearly, he’s got the potential to run up front!

How do you think Austin Cindric will fare in 2025? Will the Penske domination continue? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.