Helio Castroneves enters ARCA race at Daytona with Pinnacle Racing Group
To get more time in a stock car prior to his Daytona 500 attempt, Helio Castroneves is going to compete in the ARCA 200. This is a similar route others have taken before attempting their first NASCAR race at The World Center of Racing.
Helio Castroneves is a four-time Indy 500 champion. He knows speed. But racing stock cars is not the same as his open-wheel IndyCar.
Castroneves will race for Trackhouse in the Cup Series and for his ARCA start he pairs up with Pinnacle Racing Group. PRG fielded cars for Connor Zilisch, another Trackhouse talent in 2024.
The team also fielded a car for Shane van Gisbergen before his first superspeedway attempt in the Xfinity Series. Helio is going to be teammates with Brenden “Butterbean” Queen for ARCA. That’s a hell of a pairing.
Last year, van Gisbergen found out quickly that the ARCA Menards Series has a reputation for a reason. There are so many young, part-time, and underfunded drivers and teams in the race that literally anything can and will happen.
As someone who was at Daytona that weekend, it was a long Friday night with the Truck Series and ARCA back-to-back and there were a lot of unhappy drivers. Hopefully, Castroneves has an easier time this year.
Helio Castroneves will be at the ARCA Daytona test this week. That takes place tomorrow and we will have our first look at the field for 2025.
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Helio Castroneves optimistic about ARCA race
At 49 years old, Castroneves has seen almost everything there is to see in racing. But he hasn’t been in an ARCA race before. I know, the Daytona 500 is a much bigger deal. When it comes to wrecks and navigating through a much less talented field of drivers, it does raise the risk by a lot.
This ARCA race is simply to prepare him for the big one on Sunday. That is if he qualifies. There are going to be a number of open cars. The same goes for the ARCA 200, too. Still, he’s optimistic about the ARCA event.
“I am looking forward to ARCA racing,” said Castroneves, via a Trackhouse press release. “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 in the ARCA Menards Series. He’s in a car that can win the race, but only if he makes it to the end in one piece. That remains to be seen.