Folks, it’s time to grab your popcorn and put on your conspiracy hats! Chad Knaus, the Hendrick Motorsports genius or notorious rule-bender, depending on who you ask, has been a NASCAR legend since he and Jimmie Johnson started collecting championships like they were trading cards. Seven Cup Series titles, 83 wins, they’re the dynamic duo that made Hendrick a dynasty, with a five-peat from 2006 to 2010 that had rivals crying into their pit boxes.

But Knaus wasn’t always the golden boy. Back in 2012, his Daytona 500 car got nabbed for illegal mods, earning him a six-race suspension he later overturned faster than you can say “technicality.” “I’m not too concerned about my reputation,” he said, probably while plotting his next loophole. Innovator or cheater? You decide, but either way, Knaus knows how to win.

Now, on May 26, the veteran crew chief is back in the spotlight, and not because he’s tinkering with a car’s rear end this time—oh no, it’s way cuter than that! His son, Kipling, dropped an Instagram post that’s got fans melting, cheering on none other than Team Penske’s Austin Cindric. Yep, you heard that right, the son of Hendrick’s mastermind is hanging out with a Team Penske driver!

Little Kip shared the heartfelt story about how Cindric helped him work on his car and boosted his confidence. He didn’t even mind silly questions like, “What color is your car? How many Instagram followers do you have? Are your tires faster than mine?” Kipling wrote in an Instagram post. He also went on to claim that he had a new favourite driver, apart from the ones at HMS. “So yeah, I have a new favorite driver now (besides everyone at Hendrick Motorsports, obviously). His name’s Austin Cindric. And he’s the real deal. @austincindric.”

This adorable post has turned into a full-blown fan frenzy, mixing heartwarming vibes with some hilarious speculation that’d make even the most stoic crew chief crack a smile.

Kipling is out networking for his dad?

“I heard Penske is in need of a few new folks who know how to bend the rules. Maybe Kipling is doing some networking for Dad?” one fan quipped, tying it to Penske’s latest mess at the Indy 500. Just days earlier, on May 21, 2025, Penske drivers Josef Newgarden and Will Power got busted for a “body-fit violation” on their rear attenuators, a fancy way of saying they tweaked a safety part for an aero boost. IndyCar dropped them to 32nd and 33rd on the grid, and Penske axed senior leaders, including Tim Cindric, Austin’s dad. With Knaus’s history of “creative engineering”—like that 2012 Daytona suspension, fans are joking that Kipling might be playing matchmaker for Chad to join Penske’s rule-bending squad.

The speculations didn’t end with Knaus; this fan went on to state that Austin Cindric might be the next HMS driver. “Austin Cindric to Hendrick Motorsports confirmed.” The only car that might see a change in driver at HMS is the #48 driven by Alex Bowman. Yeah, he had the odd win at the Chicago Street Race last year, but his future with the team has been uncertain. Unlike Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Chase Elliott, Bowman somehow needs to prove himself every race, and his lack of wins is what forces fans to swirl up silly season rumors.

Not everyone’s spinning conspiracies, some fans are just here for the feels. “I find that whole story heartwarming, and in all honesty, we need more of this from all of our drivers. It would help give the sport the personality it deserves and the heart it needs,” one fan wrote, dreaming of a NASCAR where drivers show more of their human side. We’ve seen NASCAR pay drivers this year with their program to feature at multiple events. But this is the sort of story that needs more eyeballs and appreciation.

Another Cindric fan added, “In case I needed more reasons to be a massive Cindric fan. This is what we need more of out of our drivers.” We have a lot of fan following for drivers like Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and even Kyle Busch. But among the young drivers, Cindric seems to be sidelined for some reason. He is just 26 years old and still has a lot of gas in his tank to continue racing. Who knows, he might become the next favorite driver for the fans. For the time being, he is the one for Kip.

Well, a few fans took the bantering to another level and refused the offer of Austin Cindrick joining Hendrick Motorsports. “No thanks, I already dislike half on Hendrick, I don’t want Byron to be the only likeable driver on the team.” Not sure if this was a compliment or a sarcastic hint by this race fan. It’s all in good fun, but Kipling’s post has fans laughing, dreaming, and maybe even placing bets on where Chad Knaus might pop up next.