Daytona Beach, FL – Four-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves’ NASCAR Cup Series debut took a dramatic turn after he was collected in a multi-car wreck during Duel 1 at Daytona.
The 48-year-old IndyCar legend, piloting Trackhouse Racing’s No. 91 Wendy’s Chevrolet under the Project 91 banner, already had an uphill battle after failing to lock himself into the Daytona 500 on speed during Wednesday night’s qualifying session. That meant he needed to race his way in through the Duels—but fate had other plans.
The Crash That Ended Castroneves’ Duel
Castroneves lined up 20th in the 23-car field for the first 150-mile Duel race. Early on, he showed flashes of promise, settling into the draft and gaining valuable experience in his first real pack racing scenario in NASCAR. However, on Lap 14, everything unraveled.
Chandler Smith, running third, attempted to move down into the inside lane but made contact with Justin Haley. The resulting contact sent Smith’s No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse careening into the outside wall, igniting a chain-reaction wreck. Castroneves, running just behind the crash, had nowhere to go and got collected in the carnage, sustaining heavy right-side damage to his Chevrolet.
An Awkward Exit Under Caution
As if the initial crash wasn’t frustrating enough, Castroneves then lost control of his car under caution. Attempting to rush back to pit road with a broken right-rear toe link, the Brazilian misjudged the banking of Turn 3, causing his damaged Chevy to slide up the track and slam the wall again, officially ending his night.
“I was such in a rush to bring the car in,” Castroneves admitted. “We had the right rear toe link broken, and when I hit the bank, the car just kind of rolled it, and I lost control. My bad. I should learn to bring it slow into the pits.”
Castroneves Takes the Open Exemption Provisional
With his Duel race over and no way to qualify on merit, Castroneves was forced to rely on NASCAR’s Open Exemption Provisional (OEP) to secure a spot in the Daytona 500 field.
The OEP, a new and controversial rule for 2025, grants a single at-large entry to a driver who otherwise would have failed to qualify. While Castroneves had initially hoped to race his way in, he was left with no choice but to accept the provisional, meaning he will start 41st in Sunday’s race.
Backlash Over the Open Exemption Provisional Rule
Castroneves’ entry into the race via the OEP has sparked controversy across the NASCAR garage, with several veterans feeling the system undermines those who have put in years of effort in the Cup Series.
Martin Truex Jr. did not hold back in his criticism, stating, “It’s a bit of a slap in the face, no question. I put 20-something years into this sport. It gave me a lot too, but I’ve been here doing the grind and still wanting to do it. If I was Jimmie Johnson, would I be pissed? Yep.”
Truex’s frustration is echoed by many within the NASCAR community, particularly after seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson failed to receive the same exemption.
The Challenge Ahead for Castroneves
With no previous NASCAR Cup Series experience and only 50 minutes of practice before his first-ever Daytona 500, Castroneves faces an uphill battle on Sunday. While his Indy 500 pedigree proves he can handle high-speed oval racing, pack racing in NASCAR’s chaotic superspeedway environment is an entirely different beast.
Despite the setback, Castroneves remains optimistic, stating:
“I was comfortable in the high lane. Very, very comfortable. I need to try a little bit in the low lane to see how it is. But as of right now, I was enjoying it very much.”
Whether Castroneves can stay out of trouble and survive the 500-mile battle at Daytona remains to be seen. One thing is certain: his path to the biggest stock car race in America has been anything but smooth.
