"That's a weird thing": NASCAR Insider on potential Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr.'s situation amid recent Castroneves rule

NASCAR introduced a new rule to allow IndyCar legend Helio Castroneves to take part in the Daytona 500 regardless of his qualifying result. The 4x Indy 500 winner would be Trackhouse Racing's Project 91 driver for the Great American Race.

Before the rule was announced, Castroneves would've had to qualify his way into the race just like other open entries. This was something NASCAR journalist Jordan Bianchi recently shared his take on during The Teardown.

"I really see both sides. When I first heard this, I was like, 'Really? Is this really necessary?' And then I immediately thought of Fernando Alonso at Indianapolis 500 and what that meant and how the drama surrounding, of an F1 champion coming over and running this race and he didn't do it. It was a huge storyline, it got a lot of attention, and it made IndyCar look better. Because here's Fernando Alonso, coming over, and he failed to qualify which was like, 'Woah, this isn't easy. There is a skillset to this and you can't expect to just hop in the car and be good at this no matter who you are.' I think that's good for your series," Bianchi said.

Bianchi claimed that he understands the thinking behind this new rule. Having said that, he pointed to the very real possibility of two ex-NASCAR champions, Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, failing to make the Daytona 500 and Castroneves making it.

"That's a weird thing. Here are these two recent NASCAR champions, Truex was a playoff driver last year, and he misses the race. So that's not good. I don't think it's good," Bianchi added.

Jordan Bianchi recalls NASCAR introducing the provisional system in the 80s

Further sharing his take on this subject, Jordan Bianchi mentioned that NASCAR's newest rule for 'world-class driver' isn't all that new. He recalled the provisional system from the 80s when Richard Petty, who was a major crowd-puller, had missed a lot of races.

Because of that, NASCAR introduced the system because they knew having Petty would sell tickets.

Moreover, Bianchi made the case from Trackhouse's perspective. He mentioned that the Justin Marks-owned outfit has spent a lot of money and effort in securing someone like Helio Castroneves, knowing that they don't stand a chance to win prize money or points in the event.

"They're not taking away necessarily from another team. Their gain is not coming at the expense of others, which I think is really important. And I get that," Bianchi added.

Bianchi claimed that he understands the logic of wanting to commit to their Project 91 driver and Daytona 500 opportunity with a safety net of 'it's not going to look bad.' But still, he added that he goes back and forth on his opinions on NASCAR introducing a rule that allows Helio Castroneves a guaranteed spot in the Daytona 500.