NASCAR and its teams continue preparation for their biggest race of the year with one team set to make history when the green flag waves over the field for the 2025 Daytona 500.
Trackhouse Racing enters its fifth season of competition in the NASCAR Cup Series with three full-time drivers, with all three representing different countries.
Ross Chastain, Trackhouse’s most successful driver and most recent winner will be representing the United States of America.
Daniel Suarez, the team’s longest-tenured driver will represent Mexico, in his eighth attempt in the Daytona 500.
After leaving the Repco Supercars series at the conclusion of the 2023 season, New Zealand’s Shane Van Gisbergen enters his first full season in the NASCAR Cup Series.
All three of Trackhouse Racing’s full-time drivers are guaranteed a starting position in the Daytona 500 due to the NASCAR Charter System.
The Charter System allows for a team to run three full-time cars and a fourth car unchartered “open” car.
Since 2022 Trackhouse has run an open car in select events under the banner Project 91.
Project 91 Trackhouse’s international talent car hosted the likes of Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen and Shane Van Gisbergen.
While Project 91 did not appear in the 2024 season, Trackhouse founder and co-owner Justin Marks confirmed its return on Jan. 6 when he announced that Helio Castroneves would pilot the car to attempt making the 2025 Daytona 500.
Castroneves is no stranger to racing at Daytona, the Brazilian is the three-time defending winner of the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona, although that event is held on the track’s road course configuration.
While Castroneves lacks experience on NASCAR’s most famous oval, he has plenty on America’s most famous, as a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.
As an open car Castroneves would normally be required to attempt to qualify into the Daytona 500 field on Pole Day, failure to do so means he would need to race his way in through The Duels.
However, on Jan. 10, NASCAR released a revision to its rulebook that included a provisional starting position, The Open Exemption Provisional (OEP).
This provision is granted if a team with a driver from another form of racing applies for it and is approved by NASCAR.
On Jan. 10 Trackhouse applied for the OEP to ensure Castroneves would have a starting spot in the Daytona 500, the OEP was granted immediately.
With Castroneves locked in along with Trackhouse’s chartered drivers the team is set to field four cars.
Trackhouse Racing will become the first-ever NASCAR team to field four drivers, from four different countries in a single race.
If Castroneves can win the Daytona 500 he will not only be the first Brazilian driver to win the event but the first Brazilian to win in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Suarez and Van Gisbergen already have Cup Series wins but would be the first winners of the Daytona 500 from their country of origin.