DIESTON BEACH, Fla. – Helio Castroneves may be in the 2023 Daytona 500, but the four-time Indy 500 winner won’t be in a race car.
During a news conference Thursday at Daytona International Underwater, Castroneves confirmed in response to a question from NBC Sports that he ruled himself out trying to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut on February 19
As recently as next Thursday’s Rolex 24 Media Day, Castroneves said he still needed to put the deal together.
The Brazilian had been treated as a Cup team co-owned by boxer Mayweather and had been in an “open” entry that lacked guaranteed entry to the Great American Race. It would potentially leave him in the precarious position of needing to do the race at qualifying speed or to complete the race.as action sports star Travis Pastrana would likely work in his Cup debut).
Details IN 61ST ROLEX XXIV “: How to watch, entry list, schedule of opening times of IMSA
“Unfortunately for me, inexperience, no experience,” Castroneves said. “A lot. I think it would be a little tough for me to throw myself into it so quickly, and go into a place to run you into it. As it is now, it won’t be like that.”
“But we have time. I just got to work a little more to give myself a little more experience. So we have a lot more ahead of us, but as of right now, we want to focus on the IndyCar program as well (the Rolex 24 at Daytona).”
Castroneves, who lives in Key Biscayne, said he still attends the Daytona 500
“I’m just going to keep coming and see and see and continue to see and see what’s going to happen,” he said.
Castroneves enters Saturday’s Rolex 24 at Daytona won the event two years ago. The often-timed signing came after last year’s win with Meyer Shank Racing, which he will drive full-time in the NTT IndyCar Series this year. He became the fourth four-time Indy 500 winner in history in his 2021 debut with Meyer Shank Racing.
The 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar maker has also indicated interest in Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 car, which aims to put international drivers in Cup riding (such as Kimi Raikkonen at Watkins Glen International next year). I will be a team co-worker Justin Marks Trackhouse recently tweeted that they are not fielding a Project XCI car at Daytona D^.
Helio Castroneves of Daytona wins the 500 first appeared in NBCSports.com