Helio Castroneves is locked into the Daytona 500, regardless of how it goes in pole qualifying and his Thursday night Duel race.
And guess what: A lot of people aren’t happy with NASCAR’s new rule allowing an automatic entry, for any Cup Series race, to a “world-class” driver. After all, Jimmie Johnson is a seven-time NASCAR champ and two-time Daytona 500 winner, yet he’s now a part-time driver and not guaranteed a starting spot.
“I understand. You know, I’m not making the rules,” Castroneves said during Wednesday’s NASCAR Media Day at Daytona. “I didn’t know that, actually, these rules exist.”
“I don’t see a reason why he should be in the race and Jimmie Johnson shouldn’t be, so it’s a little weird to me but I don’t make the rules. I just come here and race” @MartinTruex_Jr says it’s unfair that Helio Castroneves has the provisional to race in the Daytona 500.
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) February 12, 2025
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Helio Castroneves can actually race his way into Daytona 500
Castroneves is making this one-off run for Trackhouse Racing in its occasional “Project 91” effort — the No. 91 Chevrolet, which this week looks very sharp in its Wendy’s sponsorship outfit.
He can make the 500 without the newly formed rule if he’s one of two fastest non-charter drivers during pole qualifying or the highest finishing non-charter in his Thursday qualifying race.
But if not …
“When we accepted this opportunity, we accepted to go and race,” he said. “Whatever happens in the Duel … if I have to take it, I’ll take it.”
Helio Castroneves: ‘I need practice’
He promises to resist the opportunity take it easy Thursday and simply turn laps, knowing he’s locked in to Sunday’s lineup.
“I need practice. I need to run,” he said through a laugh. “I don’t have any experience at all. Today is my second time in the car, so I think every time, every moment that I jump in the car, I will learn something.”
That includes Saturday, when he’s entered in the 200-mile ARCA series race.
“It’s a different beast,” he said of the NASCAR machinery. “It’s an amazing car. It’s completely different — different rules, you know? And I think the competition is also different than what I’m used to. So every time I’m in a car, I’m gonna learn.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona 500 gets Helio Castroneves, regardless of qualifying efforts
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