“I hope he learned something from that”: NASCAR fans react as Helio Castroneves’ Daytona Duel ends in disappointment

On Thursday, February 13, 2025, during the Duel Race at Daytona, four-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves was involved in a crash that resulted in a DNQ. NASCAR's broadcasting partner, FOX Sports, shared a clip of Castroneves' damaged car on its X account, and fans gave their take on the whole scenario.

On lap 14 of the Duel 1 race at Daytona International Speedway, Castroneves got caught up in a mess. Garage 56 driver Chandler Smith was running third and tried to clear Justin Haley on turn one but did not have enough space. Ultimately, Smith hit Haley's front bumper and spun out, hitting the retaining wall.

Helio Castroneves ran seventh behind Ty Gibbs, who quickly avoided Smith's car, but it was too late for Castroneves. The IndyCar Series driver damaged his right side and tried to make it to the pits. Unfortunately, he lost control of his car on the apron and collided with the outside walls, ending his race.

The FOX Sports' X page showcased the clip of Helio Castroneves' damaged car and captioned the post:

"A closer look at the damage for Helio Castroneves in Daytona. #HotPass"

Fans had mixed reactions in the comments and gave their take on the crash. One wrote:

"I hope he learned something from that for Sunday"

Another commented on the discomforting news for Castroneves:

"That's terrible"

Here are some more reactions to the crash:

"Unfortunately he found out what happens when you try to transition from on to off the banking," stated a fan.

"He better get use to that! Will be out by lap 20 Sunday," commented a NASCAR fan.

"wOrLd ClAsS driver wrecks all by himself…" said a motorsports fan.

"He probably wrecked his motorhome getting in it," wrote an X user.

23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace won Duel 1 at Daytona, while Helio Castroneves finished 22nd on the leaderboard. Additionally, Castroneves will be fielded in the Daytona 500 with an Open Expansion Provisional (OEP) for world-class drivers. However, he will not receive the prize money for the race.

---

"It'll be hard to understand when to move": Helio Castroneves gives a reality check of the Daytona 500 run

Helio Castroneves has ample experience in the IndyCar Series, but the driver is still following a learning curve in stock car racing. During NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick's "Happy Hour" podcast, Castroneves opened up about how to make moves in the race, saying:

"I feel that actually at the track, you know, running with everyone, I haven't run yet, but I feel the racing aspect, It won't be, I mean, it'll be hard to understand when to move and things like that."

"But I feel it would be okay on that particular scenario. But the biggest challenge that I think for me will be it's about six or seven pit stops that I have to really be careful and control what to do on those scenarios," Helio Castroneves added.

The Brazilian driver has won the Indy 500 four times - in 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2021. He has secured 25 wins, 84 podium finishes, and 48 pole positions in 315 starts in his 24-year stint in the series.