“What did Helio Castroneves earn to get a spot in Daytona 500?”: NASCAR legend rips apart ‘joke’ decision to allow IndyCar driver’s entry

NASCAR legend Tommy Baldwin Jr. has criticized the league for guaranteeing Helio Castroneves' entry into the Daytona 500. He ripped the decision on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, saying it was a "joke" giving Castroneves a free spot.

For context, IndyCar star Helio Castroneves is locked into the Daytona 500 under NASCAR's new rule, Open Exemption Provisional (OEP). The OEP allows an open car driver to compete in the race regardless of their qualifying performance, though the field is expanded to 41 entries.

Tommy Baldwin didn't hold his sentiments against the OEP, saying (via Door Bumper Clear):

"I think it's a joke."

"You put a lot of effort into it and just to give a free spot to somebody that's never done this before... I mean it's good for the fans, right? It's like you said, it's [going to] bring a lot of eyes on but come on, man, we're creating participation trophies here," he added.

The Rick Ware Racing competition director then asked what the Brazilian driver did to earn the spot.

"I think we've all worked so hard in the garage to earn what we've gotten today. What did they earn? What did Trackhouse and Helio earn to get in the Daytona 500? Bunch of IndyCar wins? Joke... to be honest with you," Baldwin concluded.

Helio Castroneves is the first open car driver to receive the OEP privilege. Driving the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro for Trackhouse Racing, Castroneves will start 41st in the Daytona 500 if he fails to qualify for one of the four original spots for unchartered teams.

The four-time Indy 500 winner will go up against other open car drivers including Martin Truex Jr., Corey LaJoie, and Jimmie Johnson, among others. Justin Allgaier will also attempt to qualify for the race for JR Motorsports' debut in the Cup Series.

The Bluegreen Vacations Duel (qualifying session) is scheduled for February 13 ahead of the Daytona 500 on Sunday. Castroneves is teaming up with Trackhouse Racing drivers Daniel Suarez, Ross Chastain, and Shane van Gisbergen.

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Helio Castroneves shared his concerns about Daytona 500 debut

In an interview with former NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick, Helio Castroneves opened up about his biggest challenge in the Daytona 500. He believes pitting will be challenging for him considering Cup cars don't have a speed limiter unlike in IndyCar.

The Brazilian driver said (via Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour):

"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." [1:03 onwards]

"But the biggest challenge that I think for me will be is about six or seven pit stops that I have to really be careful and control what to do on those scenarios," he added.

The upcoming Daytona 500 entry won't be Helio Castroneves' first time around the Daytona Oval. The Brazilian competed around the track in IROC in the early 2000s. Additionally, he won the 24 Hours of Daytona (road course) in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2021, 2022, and 2023.