"Unfinished business" pushes Helio Castroneves to plan 2026 Daytona 500 return

IndyCar veteran Helio Castroneves attempted to have a go at the Daytona 500 in NASCAR, but failed miserably due to him getting caught in a crossfire during a multi-car wreck. Subsequently, he was unhappy with how the evening went down and told journalist Bruce Martin how he has unfinished business in the series and wants to return for the 2026 iteration.

Castroneves is regarded as the most successful IndyCar driver to not have a championship under his belt. He has 31 wins, 94 podiums, 55 poles, and most importantly, he is a four-time Indy 500 winner.

Despite this, the Brazilian driver does not have a championship in his cabinet as he finished runners-up four different times in the standings. Nonetheless, with his racing career coming to a stalemate, Helio Castroneves decided to spice it up by venturing over to the stock car racing scene.

The 49-year-old partnered up with Trackhouse Racing for the Daytona 500, the biggest race in the NASCAR calendar. Castroneves then set out on the journey with the #91 charter but his race ended on lap 72 after he was hit by Martin Truex Jr. from the rear in a massive wreck.

Regretting how his evening went down, Castroneves talked about having unfinished business in the series and hopes to return for the 2026 Daytona 500 with Pit Pass Indy podcast host Martin, who said (via Pit Pass Indy podcast):

"[Helio] Castroneves texted me Sunday night after the race and said he hopes to return for next year's Daytona 500 because he has unfinished business." (4:26 onwards)

Helio Castroneves had started last in the race and was classified as 39th in the finishing order.

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Helio Castroneves was dejected with his Daytona 500 debut

Helio Castroneves at the NASCAR Cup Series Duel 1 at Daytona - Source: Getty

The former IndyCar driver was left dejected with his maiden NASCAR outing. However, he empathized with the Trackhouse Racing team as they had used the Open Provisional Exemption rule to make Castroneves' debut come true.

Sharing his thoughts on the unfortunate ending, the Brazilian driver said (via X/MattWeaverRA):

"I feel bad for obviously the Project 91 and the Track House team, they're going to have some more to do. I didn't want to take the provision, but now I will have to take the provision to go to the race, of course. But yeah, it's incredible. I was learning a lot as it goes. It's a shame that we have to finish here."

The 2025 IndyCar calendar pales in comparison to the NASCAR calendar. The open-wheel racing series will hold 17 races across the United States and Canada, while the latter series will organize 36 races and host an event in Mexico for the first-time ever.