OPA-LOCKA, FLA. (WSVN) – The Daytona 500 is the world’s most iconic racetrack, famous for its unique design and high-speed action, the 500-mile NASCAR Cup Series follows Superbowl Sunday and kickoffs The Great American Race weekend. It showcases the best motorist in the racing world and one driver, known from a different racing circuit, is stepping up to the plate.
Four-time Indianapolis 500 Winner, Hélio Castroneves, will soon attack the beast, the two-and-a-half mile track at the Daytona 500.
“You’re talking about one of the most incredible races in the world and when you have an opportunity with a great group of people, who haven’t seen us, to go out there and drive, why not?” said Castroneves.
Castroneves, who lives in Key Biscayne, has never raced a cup car. He’s attempting to do what only two other Indy drivers have ever done: win the Indianapolis and the Dayton 500.
“It would be a part of history, you know, again everything when you say Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt and all the incredible names are called the gods of racing right? Imagine all of a sudden we have an opportunity to join those names, it’s a dream come true,” said Castroneves.
Castroneves has raced on the Daytona track before. He’s won three, 24 hours of Daytona races but it’s a half-track, half-in-field road course.
Now, he’ll go racing for 200 laps for 500 miles on the oval track.
“It’s 200 plus miles per hour. You got Ross Chastain or Joey Logano behind you and these guys, they’ll put you in the wall are you ready for that?” asked 7News Mike DiPasquale.
“You know what I’m going to do? [gestures the Sign of the Cross while holding onto imaginary wheel] Oh my goodness,” said Castroneves jokingly.
“At the end of the day, obviously, we’re all drivers, competitors, we’re going to do everything we can to win a race,” he continued.
He will get acclimated to a stock car in the ARCA 200 race at Daytona. It’s a developmental series for drivers. It’s a quick learning curve to race a bigger and faster cup car in the 500.
“It’s 200 plus miles an hour and it has a lot of guys side-by-side. It’s just like I-95 in traffic and everybody right there side-by-side so it will be quite an experience. I can’t wait,” he said.
The 49-year-old Castroneves has been racing since he was 10 years old. He decided to show 7News Mike DiPasquale his driving skills on the Concours Club race track.
Castroneves is locked in for the 500. He doesn’t have to qualify. A new NASCAR exemption for world-class drivers was given to him.
“I hope we don’t have to use that. I hope I can race myself into the race, but if something out of the ordinary happens I don’t mind taking the opportunity,” he said.
Castroneves said Trackhouse Racing, that is co-owned by Pitbull, may have him in more NASCAR Cup races this season, including the 400 happening in Homestead on March 23.
For tickets and more information on the Dayton 500, click here.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
