Helio Castroneves has gone down in the history of motorsport as one of the best drivers in the IndyCar history. In 2021, Castroneves tied the record for most wins at the Indianapolis 500 when he won “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for the fourth time.
Now, the legendary racer will attempt to tackle another iconic race: the 2025 Daytona 500.
Castroneves, 49, will make his NASCAR Cup Series his debut at Daytona International Speedway starting February 12 when he makes his first laps in Daytona 500 practice, driving the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. The team features full-time Cup Series racing for Ross Chastain (No. 1 Chevrolet), Shane van Gisbergen (No. 88 Chevrolet) and Daniel Suarez (No. 99 Chevrolet).
Castroneves has been a staple of North American single-seater racing for over 25 years. While he is most synonymous with his Indy 500 triumphsCastroneves has 25 career victories in the NTT IndyCar Series and six victories in the old Champ Car Series, competing every year since 1998. In total, the Brazil native has 94 podium finishes in both series.
But for all his success, Castroneves had never tried his hand at NASCAR, although he had some experience in stock car racing. Castroneves made 16 IROC starts from 2002 to 2005, with a best finish of second at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And even though IndyCar doesn’t race at Daytona, Castroneves knows the iconic speedway well. He has won the Rolex 24 sports car race at Daytona three times, most recently in 2023.
2025 NASCAR CUP SERIES SCHEDULE: How to watch every race this season
Trackhouse has been trying to lure Castroneves to the Daytona 500 for several years. as part of its “Project 91” program. The goal of the project, created by Trackhouse owner Justin Marks, was to attract highly accomplished drivers from other forms of motorsports to compete in a high-profile NASCAR race. Kimi Räikkönen, 2007 Formula 1 world champion, was the first driver for the project, making his debut in 2022 at Watkins Glen International.
Castroneves will finally receive his Daytona 500 photo, just months shy of his 50th birthday.
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Helio Castroneves will compete in the 2025 Daytona 500 in his NASCAR debut
