"Is this legit?": Famous Motorsports YouTuber reacts to IndyCar legend Helio Castroneves' Daytona 500 reports

Famous motorsport YouTuber Eric Estepp reacted to reports claiming that 4-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves will make his NASCAR debut at the Daytona 500 on February 16.

The rumor mill began churning after motorsport journalist Bobby Parsons posted an update on X according to which Castroneves would join Trackhouse Racing's Project 91 for his first attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500. YouTuber Estepp addressed this report in a video posted on January 6, saying:

"Woah! Is this legit? Tony Donohue, IndyCar reporter, appeared to confirm it." [1:50 onwards]

IndyCar reporter Tony Donohue revealed in a post on X that Castroneves was supposed to participate in the 2024 'Great American Race' but his debut got delayed by a year because of unknown reasons. He wrote:

"It was supposed to happen in 2024, after a years waiting, 4 time #Indy500 winner @h3lio will attempt the 2025 #Daytona500. Details to come !"

Though Helio Castroneves has never won an IndyCar championship, he is considered one of the series' most successful drivers, tied with Al Unser, Rick Mears, and A.J. Foyt for most Indy 500 victories - four each. The first three victories came with Team Penske and the last with Meyer Shank Racing in 2021.

The Brazilian driver currently competes part-time in IndyCar, having competed in three races in 2024 with MSR, including the 108th Indy 500, where he finished 20th.

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When Helio Castroneves almost landed a Daytona 500 drive after his 2022 SRX heroics

Helio Castroneves, Rolex 24 at Daytona (Source: Getty)

In a racing career spanning nearly three decades, Helio Castroneves has displayed impressive versatility across motorsport disciplines. In addition to his IndyCar success, the 49-year-old has also participated in Sports Car races. He also consecutively won the 24 Hours of Daytona from 2021 to 2023 - once with Konica Minolta Acura and twice with Meyer Shank Racing.

In 2022, Castroneves also competed in the SRX (Superstar Racing Experience) racing series. Though he was supposed to only compete in three out of six races, he unexpectedly showed up at the season opener in Pensacola, Florida, and went on to win the race in which he wasn't scheduled to take part. As per Autoweek, then-SRX CEO Don Hawk had promised Castroneves a Daytona 500 ride if he won any of the three SRX races, which he did in the unscheduled first race.

Speaking about this promise later, Hawk said:

"My side job is representing Mr. Castroneves. Phone calls have been taking place, the ball is rolling. We’re not ready to say a whole lot publicly. But the ball is rolling. I’ve made some direct calls also. It all depends on how this thing rolls out, whether we're going to look at more than one race or optional races. The intention originally was he really wanted to run in the Daytona 500, it was a crown jewel. And so we're really going to try to make the Daytona 500 work."

In November of that year, Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks expressed interest in fielding Helio Castroneves in the Project 91 car and confirmed ongoing discussions. However, that possibility didn't lead to a concrete development until this week, with the discussions seemingly reaching a culminating point.