“No idea what's going to happen” - Helio Castroneves draws parallel between ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and Daytona 500 attempt

IndyCar Series veteran Helio Castroneves is set to make his Daytona 500 attempt at the Daytona International Speedway with Trackhouse Racing next month. Ahead of his NASCAR debut, Castroneves opened up about this new experience, drawing similarities between his Daytona 500 attempt and his time at the “Dancing with the Stars” competition in 2007.

Castroneves had participated in that reality show in 2007 and ended up winning it with Julianne Hough.

In a recent interview with FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, the four-time Indy 500 winner emphasized his openness to new experiences and his reliance on Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 team to succeed in the unfamiliar Daytona 500 environment. Speaking about his new experiences on the upcoming Daytona 500 attempt, here’s what Castroneves said:

“Will be everything new, will be certainly, just like I went to Dancing with the Stars; I have no idea what's going to happen. So it was pretty much the same as I'm going to go, follow the lead of the group. As I mentioned before, just not only providing incredible cars, but incredible people as well. And having them guiding me to the right direction will definitely help me to achieve the goals that we want. So again, it's a team and I'm definitely going to rely on the entire team, Project 91, to give and use those tools to make sure I can achieve the goals that I need.”

Though the 49-year-old São Paulo, Brazil, native is a seasoned open-wheel racer, the unpredictable nature of superspeedway racing and the stark differences in NASCAR’s Next Gen car mean he’s entering unfamiliar territory.

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Helio Castroneves will also make his ARCA Menards Series debut at Daytona

Along with making a Daytona 500 attempt, Helio Castroneves will race in the 2025 ARCA Menards Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway in February. He will drive #82 Chevrolet SS, a second entry for Pinnacle Racing Group.

It’s good for Castroneves that he will get more time in a stock car before his Daytona 500 attempt.

“I am looking forward to ARCA racing. I think getting as much seat time as possible will help in our preparation for the Daytona 500, plus I have watched ARCA races in the past on television, and they look like a lot of fun,” Helio Castroneves said.

Helio Castroneves will get behind the wheel of the #91 Wendy’s Chevrolet as a part of Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 initiative in the NASCAR Cup Series opener at Daytona.