Helio Castroneves To Try And Qualify For Daytona 500 Come February

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will try to qualify for the Daytona 500 when the 2025 NASCAR season begins next month.

Castroneves will be partnering with Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 in the effort. The attempt will be his debut in stock car racing.

Castroneves had tried to get into NASCAR racing back in 2023, but plans for that with Floyd Mayweather’s “The Money Team” fell through, with that ride eventually going to Conor Daly.

Project 91 is a part-time seat that Trackhouse team owner Justin Marks began back in 2022 as a way to give opportunities to some of the best drivers from around the world to give NASCAR a try. The ride famously won the inaugural race in the Streets of Chicago in 2023 when Australian driver Shane Van Ginsburgen, former Australian Supercars champion, took the checkered flag.

Former F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen has also driven the car at Watkins Glen in 2022.

“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,” Castroneves said in an emailed news release. “This is an opportunity that nobody in their right mind could ever turn down.”

Castroneves’ effort in the Daytona 500 will be sponsored by Wendy’s. Castroneves will turn 50 this May when he is also planning to once again qualify for the Indianapolis 500 with Meyer Shank Racing.