Hélio Castroneves Running 2025 Daytona 500 in Trackhouse Project 91 Entry
Hélio Castroneves, a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, will attempt to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in February at Daytona International Speedway, competing in the 2025 Daytona 500.
Castroneves will get behind the wheel of the No. 91 Wendy's Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, becoming just the third driver to participate in the organization's PROJECT91 program -- joining Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen and Supercars champion Shane Van Gisbergen.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would enter a NASCAR race and certainly not the Daytona 500 with a team like Trackhouse Racing,” said Castroneves. “This is an opportunity that nobody in their right mind could ever turn down. I am so thankful to Wendy’s for allowing me to wear their uniform and drive their car, (Trackhouse owner) Justin Marks and everyone that made this happen. I wish the race were tomorrow."
The native of Sao Paulo, Brazil will be competing in a fourth entry for the NASCAR Cup Series operation co-owned by Justin Marks and Pitbull, joining the likes of Ross Chastain (#1), Shane Van Gisbergen (#88), and Daniel Suarez (#99).
“I know how much of a challenge this is going to be, but I also know the type of people and team Trackhouse Racing will bring to the effort,” said Castroneves. “I can’t wait to get to the Trackhouse race shop in North Carolina to meet everyone and prepare for Daytona. There is so much I must learn and I’m ready to get started.”
Darian Grubb, a 24-time winning NASCAR Cup Series crew chief, will lead the No. 91 team at Daytona.
“Hélio is one of the greatest drivers of all time and exactly the type of driver we want to bring to NASCAR,” said Marks. “I think race fans around the world will be excited to see Hélio in NASCAR’s most prestigious race. It also exposes our sport to a global audience and allows them to see just how great of a series we have in NASCAR.”
A 25-time IndyCar winner, Castroneves was in the running for a Daytona 500 seat in 2023, after winning a Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) event at Five Flags Speedway. That seat was part of an agreement between Castroneves and SRX CEO Don Hawk, who said if the IndyCar veteran could win an event, he would use his NASCAR connections to get him a ride in 'The Great American Race'.
Getting behind the wheel of a part-time, open entry, Castroneves is not guaranteed a spot in the 2025 Daytona 500, and thus, will have to be one of the four drivers that qualify their way into the 40-driver field for the season-opener.
Already confirmed to be attempting the Daytona 500 in an open entry are BJ McLeod (Live Fast Motorsports), Mike Wallace (MBM Motorsports), JJ Yeley (NY Racing), and 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex, Jr. (TBA). Rick Ware Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Team AmeriVet, and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB are among the other teams that could also enter an open entry into the Daytona 500.
The journey to make the 67th Daytona 500 will begin with Daytona 500 Pole Qualifying (Wednesday, February 12), where the two fastest open entries will lock themselves into the show. In the Bluegreen Vacations Duels (Thursday, February 13), the highest finishing open entry will lock into the race -- with the two quickest drivers not already locked into the field falling back on qualifying speed.
Should Castroneves qualify for the 2025 Daytona 500, the event will take place on Sunday, February 16th with live coverage on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
-a54bf325b08a5e9f769b818f5c4a244c.png "Joseph Srigley")
Joseph Srigley covers NASCAR for TobyChristie.com, Racing America, and OnSI, and is the owner of the #SrigleyStats brand. With a higher education in the subjects of business, mathematics, and data analytics, Joseph is able to fully understand the inner workings of the sport through multiple points of perspective.