MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Unlikely to happen in time for 2023, Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks would like to run four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves in the Daytona 500 one day.
Marks spoke about that idea during the 3rd Annual Race Industry Week sponsored by EPartrade, SPEED SPORT and RACER which began Monday morning and concludes Friday evening.
There is no charge to attend. Click here to register.
Marks is the owner of Trackhouse, which also features Project91 designed to bring a driver with international acclaim into NASCAR.
Marks, however, cautioned that a third entry in the Daytona 500 may not happen in 2023.
“The Daytona 500 is a difficult race to run a third car, especially how new our team is,” Marks said. “I don’t see us rolling out a third car for the 2023 Daytona 500. To add that element to all the work we have to do as a company in January and the first part of February, introducing that element in our ramp up to the season is not something I’m ready to do yet.
“But drivers like Helio, those are the guys we want in Project91, so those discussions are ongoing.”
Shortly after Marks discussed his interest in Castroneves, SPEED SPORT contacted the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, who acknowledged he is interested, but “I have not heard anything yet…still waiting…
“I’m ready.”
Castroneves drives for Meyer-Shank Racing in the NTT IndyCar Series along with teammate Simon Pagenaud. Shank said he would do whatever he could to help Castroneves compete in the Daytona 500 for Marks, a former driver for Shank.
A Honda representative also said Honda would not object to Castroneves, a Honda IndyCar driver, competing in a Chevrolet in the Daytona 500 because “Honda doesn’t compete in Nascar so there is no direct conflict.”
The vision behind Project91 is bold and creates an opportunity for NASCAR to attract international talent, which in terms would create international opportunity.
“That is a really exciting program,” Marks said. “It’s a passion project for me and fits into the strategy of what Trackhouse is trying to do and look like and be different. I spent enough time in other forms of racing to know there is significant global interest in NASCAR.
“People around the world are fascinated by NASCAR. It’s such a unique form of racing and it’s something that only we do. People overseas look at NASCAR like we look at the Supercar Series as something that would be interesting to try.
“It’s been such a heavy lift for so long for people to come into NASCAR because it’s so difficult to drive and the skillset you need to drive it is so proprietary, it hasn’t been a great experience for other people.
“The NextGen car is much more consistent with the global platform of GT racing. It’s like a GT 3 car or a SuperCar. The future of Project91, we have some neat conversations happening right now. Ultimately, how that program grows from a commercial standpoint, we are always going to do at least one race and as much as 5-10 races.”
Marks believes world class talent from other disciplines can come into NASCAR and drive them on ovals because the NextGen car is so different than the previous generation of stock cars.
“If that works out the way I’m hoping it works out, the doors have been kicked wide open into the types of exciting talent and personalities and international flair that we can bring into NASCAR.”
According to Trackhouse, Project91 is “designed to push the guardrails and expand our international reach.”
Former Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland drove the Project91 car to a 37th-place finish at Watkins Glen International.