Helio Castroneves Reveals How Roger Penske Shot Down His Offers to Drive in NASCAR Cup Series

Helio Castroneves is riding on a high after his Meyer Shank Racing team won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. Aside from that, he has primarily competed in the IndyCar Series. In that series, he never quite won the championship, but he did finish as the runner-up on four occasions. As a driver racing in the United States, there was obviously some interest in competing in NASCAR. However, a move never materialised.

He said, “Roger Penske, I drove for him for over 21 years. Probably what he did was making the right decisions, but he never let me drive a Cup car. I swear to God, I always asked him and I say that for a long time. Didn’t ask him repetitively, like I’d wait for one or two years. Then when he said no, another one or two years, ‘Hey, what about this, maybe there’s a test that I can do’. Finally he said ‘no, I’m not going to let you do that’.”

Will we ever see Helio Castroneves in NASCAR?

Unfortunately, the Brazilian driver has pretty much lost his chance of a full-time drive. Now, he is harbouring different ideas by targeting specific races. To be precise, he is wondering whether he will get a chance to run the Daytona 500. If that isn’t possible, he would also be okay with running on a road course.

The former IndyCar Penske driver is still competing in the open wheel series and is not slowing down. However, his performances have begun to wane since 2017. The good news is that his 2021 Indianapolis 500 win proved that there is still some life left in the 46-year-old. Even his WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona is enough proof. He also competed in the inaugural season of the Superstar Racing Experience, with a best finish of 3rd.

Would you have liked to see Helio in NASCAR? Let us know in the comments.

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