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NASCAR drivers divided on new rule that could guarantee Helio Castroneves a spot in the Daytona 500

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NASCAR drivers divided on new rule that could guarantee Helio Castroneves a spot in the Daytona 500
News

News

NASCAR drivers divided on new rule that could guarantee Helio Castroneves a spot in the Daytona 500

2025-02-12 03:08 Last Updated At:03:11

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A controversial new NASCAR rule designed for “world-class drivers" could give Helio Castroneves an automatic berth into the Daytona 500, and, should the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner use the provisional, it would make for the largest field in a decade.

It's a complicated rule that was written into the charter agreement that 13 teams signed last September and is similar to a “promoters provisional” in that it gives NASCAR the ability to designate one driver as a guaranteed 41st entry.

Three-time Daytona 500 Denny Hamlin winner said the rule “reeks of desperation” by NASCAR, calling it nothing but a gimmick to attract big stars to stock car racing. Others wondered why the provisional went to Castroneves, who at 49 will be making his NASCAR debut, instead of seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, a two-time Daytona 500 winner.

The rule is designed for drivers who don't currently race full time in NASCAR, so Johnson and 2017 Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. would have been eligible for consideration for the provisional.

But their teams never put in the request, which must be done 90 days before the event. Only Trackhouse Racing requested the provisional for Castroneves, who enters Wednesday's qualifying as the only driver eligible for the 41st spot.

“I think Jimmie Johnson is a world-class driver, but I guess other people don’t,” Alex Bowman said. "It’s an interesting rule for sure. There’s a lot of hype and importance to the sport to have people like (Castroneves) that come in and, if they miss the race, it kind of hurts the whole thing.

"So I get it, but I also wish some of our past champions were respected in the same way in some sense.”

Castroneves will use the provisional only if he fails in traditional qualifying to claim one of the four open spots in what was supposed to be a 40-car field. If he uses it, the 41 cars will be the most in the Daytona 500 since 2015, when 43 cars was still standard.

Trackhouse and Castroneves also won't receive any points or payouts if he's the 41st driver, and all drivers who finish behind him will be moved up one position in the standings.

The rule has divided the field, even though it probably will come into play only at Daytona International Speedway, where nine drivers are vying for the four open spots. NASCAR's charter system guarantees entry to 36 cars every race.

“Aside from the Daytona 500, we don’t get in a spot very often where drivers of that caliber are going home," Tyler Reddick said. "I don’t know where to fall on this. On one hand, I would hate for a guy like Lewis Hamilton to come over here and attempt to start the 500... (and) something keeps him from running the race. We also don’t just want to let them have a spot in the race — like, they have to earn it.”

Logically, if multiple drivers had requested the provisional, the most sense would have been for it to go to the highest qualifier.

Nope.

If NASCAR does receive multiple requests, NASCAR will decide who the designated “world-class driver” is ahead of the event. The criteria listed in the charter for the rule states "the “Open Exemption” position is intended for a driver who will significantly impact the promotion of the event and grow the prominence of the sport.

In a competition briefing held for media last month, a hypothetical scenario was posed about what NASCAR would do if seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton, four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen, six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon and Johnson, who is also a NASCAR Hall of Famer, all put in a request for the same race.

“I’d love to have that problem,” said John Probst, NASCAR senior vice president of racing development.

NASCAR could have that problem later this year when it goes to Mexico City, where several teams are exploring deals to enter Juan Pablo Montoya in the race, and who knows who could show up at a road course — Shane van Gisbergen was brought into the inaugural street race at Chicago, won it and by the end of the year had left his Australian V8 Supercars career behind for NASCAR.

At Indianapolis in 2023, former F1 drivers Jenson Button and Kamui Kobayashi were both in the field, while Button was part of the same field as Kimi Raikkonen to make it two F1 world champions in the 2023 race at Circuit of the Americas.

“I can argue both sides of the fence. You’d hate to have a Helio Castroneves, a Max Verstappen, a Lewis Hamilton or someone come in to run a race and then miss the show due to something silly,” Chase Elliott said. "So I can certainly see that aspect of it from a promoter. But I also think that with prestigious races, there should be some sort of integrity in making the show.

"I think that’s part of what makes the race prestigious. You know, it’s a hard event to make. I think you see that with the Indianapolis 500, or you see that at the Chili Bowl, right? It’s a hard race to make. It’s a big deal just to get into the show. I just don’t want to ever degrade or hurt the long-term integrity of the sport and take the prestige out of events that should be some of our biggest days of the year.”

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

FILE Martin Truex Jr. interacts with spectators while walking down a runway during driver introductions before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Aug. 24, 2024, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, file)

FILE Martin Truex Jr. interacts with spectators while walking down a runway during driver introductions before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Aug. 24, 2024, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, file)

FILE - Jimmie Johnson walks out during driver introductions for the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Feb. 19, 2024, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, file)

FILE - Jimmie Johnson walks out during driver introductions for the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Feb. 19, 2024, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, file)

FILE - Helio Castroneves is introduced before the IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix auto race in Detroit, June 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, file)

FILE - Helio Castroneves is introduced before the IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix auto race in Detroit, June 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, file)

FILE - Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, talks with other drivers during a practice session for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

FILE - Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, talks with other drivers during a practice session for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — McLaren’s Lando Norris has won a chaotic rain-affected Australian Grand Prix, his first at Albert Park, with the Brit just managing to stay ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen following a third safety car late in Sunday's race.

Lewis Hamilton had a miserable Ferrari debut. The seven-time champion finished 10th and was annoyed by constant radio messages from his pit team.

Norris started the wet race, Melbourne’s first since 2010, from pole position. But, while he initially came under increasing pressure from Piastri, who set a series of fastest laps until his papaya team told him to hold position, the Australian spun at the penultimate corner on lap 44 with intensifying rain and dropped down the order - with a late race fightback to ninth, nabbing two points.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished second — 0.895 of a second behind Norris — after starting from third on the grid, and took advantage of Piastri’s misfortune and the final safety car and stops. Mercedes’ George Russell closed out the top-three.

The Melbourne race had a thrilling start with Racing Bull’s Isack Hadjar out on the formation lap, and Alpine’s Jack Doohan and Williams’ Carlos Sainz — who won here last year driving for Ferrari — crashing out on the opening lap.

There were just 14 finishers, after Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso hit the turn eight barriers on lap 34, while Red Bull’s Liam Lawson and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto went into the barriers and out of the race 10 laps from home in treacherously wet conditions at the Albert Park circuit.

AP Formula 1: https://apnews.com/hub/formula-one

Red Bull driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand spins off the circuit during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

Red Bull driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand spins off the circuit during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

Red Bull driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand stands by his car after crashing during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

Red Bull driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand stands by his car after crashing during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy steers his car during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy steers his car during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

McLaren driver Lando Norris, right, of Britain and Red Bull driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand complete to get out of turn two during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

McLaren driver Lando Norris, right, of Britain and Red Bull driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand complete to get out of turn two during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain talks with Zak Brown, McLaren team chief, after winning the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain talks with Zak Brown, McLaren team chief, after winning the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain waves to the crowd after winning the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Heath McKinley)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain waves to the crowd after winning the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Heath McKinley)

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain steers his car during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain steers his car during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain leads teammate Oscar Piastri of Australia during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain leads teammate Oscar Piastri of Australia during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Barbour)

Williams driver Carlos Sainz of Spain's car is taken from the track after he crashed during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Williams driver Carlos Sainz of Spain's car is taken from the track after he crashed during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain leads the field into turn two at the start of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain leads the field into turn two at the start of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Team RB driver Isack Hadjar of France is assisted by a track marshal after his car hit a wall on the formation lap ahead of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Team RB driver Isack Hadjar of France is assisted by a track marshal after his car hit a wall on the formation lap ahead of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

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