"The camera cannot see the smile": Helio Castroneves outlines hilarious pit-lane mishap before practice

Helio Castroneves, the IndyCar legend, is currently gearing up to sparkle his magic in his first-ever NASCAR outing at the 2025 Daytona 500. Entering a new sport, Castroneves had a funny moment before practice as he had to figure out how to get out of the Cup Series garage.

Helio Castroneves has competed in various racing categories over the last few years. From IndyCar to Champ Car to Formula 3, the 49-year-old has accumulated a wealth of experience.

However, in the recently concluded practice running of the NASCAR Daytona 500, Castroneves had a hilarious pit-lane incident (driving for Trackhouse Racing). He shed light on the same in the post-session interviews and also talked about the overall experience:

"Ah, you should see, the helmet, I think the camera cannot see the smile, you know, behind my helmet, it was so cool. I'm like oh man, this is tough, this is tough, you know what, I actually got this stuff. It was really fun and yeah, super super excited. Can't wait to go back out there again," Castroneves said.

Castroneves is taking up the challenge of NASCAR at 49. Before this, he had been competing in the highest class of open-wheel racing in America, IndyCar. In the sport, he has managed a whopping 315 outings alongside 25 wins, 84 podiums, and 48 pole positions thus far.

Helio Castroneves feels 'blessed' to compete in IndyCar and NASCAR

Helio Castroneves had an eventful practice at the Daytona International Speedway and feels blessed to be competing in the circuit. Castroneves is one of the very few who have had the opportunity to compete in both IndyCar and NASCAR.

The Brazillian drew an intriguing analogy when he was asked to draw a comparison between NASCAR's Daytona 500 and IndyCar's Indianapolis 500.

"Comparing it to the Indy 500, it’s like you’re comparing it to another star. I don’t know, (like) Taylor Swift and Madonna, you know? It’s a huge show and it’s a huge race and there’s a lot of history behind it - one is IndyCar, one is NASCAR, and I’m very fortunate and blessed to be able to do both," Castroneves was quoted as saying by Motorsport.com.

Helio Castroneves has a wealth of racing experience. He is a four-time (2001, 2002, 2009, and 2021) Indianapolis 500 winner. Only four drivers have managed to achieve this in the history of the race and he is one of them.

While the 49-year-old still competes in IndyCar (part-time for Meyer Shank Racing), his outing at the NASCAR Daytona 500 has become the talk of the town and has drawn mixed reactions. It was also announced on Wednesday (February 12) that he will be inducted into the 2025 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame.