Castroneves on first NASCAR laps at Daytona: 'It was so cool'

Helio Castroneves first had to find his way out of the garage at Daytona International Speedway before he could finally lay down laps in a NASCAR Cup Series stock car.

“I think the camera cannot see the smile behind my helmet, but it was so cool,” Castroneves said Wednesday. “I’m like, ‘Oh man, this is tough. This tough. Oh no, I actually got this stuff.’ So, it was really fun and super exciting. I can’t wait to go back out there again.”

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NASCAR gave teams a 50-minute practice session Wednesday to prepare for single-car qualifying. The session was not on the schedule over the last few years, so some teams and drivers lobbied for track time to ensure things were buttoned up before taking a flying qualifying lap.

Castroneves ran 13 laps in his No. 91 Chevrolet. It put his Trackhouse Racing team 12th fastest overall with a lap of 183.460 mph.

“The stock car moves a little bit different,” Castroneves said. “You have a power steering wheel. The car, when it turns, it's a little delay. Speed difference... you don't feel it. [The] IndyCar, because of no power steering, it turns a little quicker and it’s a little heavier. You feel more (of) everything into the steering wheel.”

Although he was included in the ARCA Menards Series test at Daytona last month (and he’ll attempt to qualify and run the race Saturday afternoon), Wednesday was the first time Castroneves ran a Cup Series car at Daytona. And he still hasn’t drafted in a large pack.

But Castroneves has done his due diligence to prepare for his Cup Series debut, including getting to run at Talladega Superspeedway, where the team focused on pit road entry and exit. He’s also spent time talking to the likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Team Penske's Joey Logano, Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney.

Wednesday’s practice session was the only one Castroneves will have before running competitively. Wednesday night, he will make a qualifying lap and Thursday night are the two qualifying duel races that finalize the starting lineup.

The four-time Indianapolis 500 champion is guaranteed a starting position in Sunday’s race. Trackhouse Racing has requested and been granted the Open Exemption Provisional. So Castroneves will either qualify for the Daytona 500 via traditional means, or will be the added 41st entry if he falls back on the provisional.

But despite being qualified into the field either way, Castroneves plans on being on track as much as possible over the next two days. He has no interest in being conservative in the duel races.

“I need practice,” Castroneves said. “I need to run. I don’t have any experience at all. Today is my second time in the car, so I think every moment that I jump in the car, I will learn something. And I need it. I’ll be honest with you: it’s a different beast, it’s an amazing car, it’s completely different rules, and I think the competition is different from what I’m used to. So, every time I’m in the car, I’m going to learn. So, no matter what happens, I’ll be running.”