Castroneves, 47, ran a partial schedule within the six-race Celebrity Racing Expertise (SRX) Collection this summer time on brief ovals, and sequence CEO Don Hawk had advised him if he gained a race, he’d discover him a trip within the Daytona 500.
The Brazilian promptly gained the subsequent race at Pensacola, although he wasn’t initially scheduled to participate in it.
Hawk later clarified that the “intention initially was he actually needed to run the Daytona 500 and if not, a ‘crown jewel’ [race]. So, we’re actually going to attempt to make the Daytona 500 work.”
With 76 days till the Daytona 500, Castroneves stays at the hours of darkness if he’ll get his hoped-for shot at ‘The Nice American Race’.
“I’m engaged on it,” he advised Autosport. “I do know currently there was rumours, even my staff proprietor Mike [Shank] has been asking me what’s happening? Don Hawk, we had a guess, and I’m positive he’s in all probability stirring the pot to attempt to make it occur.
“Hopefully within the subsequent two weeks we’ll hear one thing, however as of proper now, I’ve referred to as those who I hear have an interest however no person is getting again to me. So I assume I’ll watch for the precise time for them to name!
“It’s a race I’d like to do for a number of causes: I like racing and I’ve by no means had the possibility to drive a Cup automotive. I do know Daytona is a unique beast [from SRX] and also you want drafting companions that can assist you out. However I be taught fast! The race is quite a lot of laps, so I’d have 200 laps to be taught all of it. Hopefully we will make one thing occur.
Helio Castroneves, SRX Collection Pensacola
Picture by: SRX
“I’ve finished SRX, I’ve finished IROC, and I perceive it’s a unique beast, and I recognize the opponents in NASCAR have quite a lot of expertise, however on the finish of the day a race automotive is a race automotive and a race observe is a race observe. We’ve simply acquired to place ourselves there and make it occur.
“Mario [Andretti] has gained it, AJ [Foyt] too – why not one other Indy 500 champion to get an opportunity?”
When requested if he’d be considering racing for Trackhouse’s Venture 91 – which is geared toward thrusting abroad drivers into inventory automotive racing’s premier class – Castroneves mentioned he’d wish to comply with within the footsteps of Kimi Raikkonen, who raced its automotive at Watkins Glen final 12 months.
“They’ve an excellent automotive, a quick automotive,” mentioned Castroneves of Trackhouse. “I do know we’d have quite a lot of issues we’d have to attain, like having to qualify on time or race your means in if you happen to’re not an everyday, however we’ve acquired to do it the precise means – that’s why we’re attempting to search for an excellent staff.”
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