Former racing driver Jacques Villeneuve fought through pure Daytona madness to bring home a solid 22nd-place finish in the 2022 Daytona 500. He started near the back, survived a scary half-spin when the brakes felt off, and somehow missed Tyler Reddick’s sliding car with 150 laps left.

Now, three years later, that very Team Hezeberg Mustang, the one a Formula 1 world champion drove in NASCAR’s biggest race, is officially up for grabs.

Villeneuve’s Daytona warrior hits the market

Hezeberg Engineering, the small international squad that made it all happen, is handling the sale itself. For a team that runs on passion and smart strategy, putting a former F1 champ in the Great American Race was already a huge story. Finishing 22nd against the giants was just icing. This car is the real deal that made it possible.

Built as a full next-gen Cup car but tuned for road courses and big ovals, it started life in Hezeberg’s usual colors. Then, right before the 500, Woodies threw in $150,000 at the last second, so the crew wrapped the whole thing overnight. That quick cash boost helped the little team breathe easier heading into the weekend.

Jacques Villeneuve qualified the car on speed, no duel luck needed, and raced smart all day. Even with pit-road trouble that dropped him back, he kept it clean and brought it home 22nd, banking $425,000 for a squad that runs on a shoestring. For a group banned from practice or testing under the 2025 rules, that run was pure overachievement.

The car also carried other big names that year: Loris Hezemans and ex-F1 driver Daniil Kvyat. It was built to shine on road courses, but Daytona proved it could hang anywhere. Under the hood sits a fresh Roush Yates 5.8-liter Ford V8 pumping out around 920 horsepower at 9,000 rpm, hooked to an Xtrac sequential box and McLaren electronics.

Zero hours on the rebuild. Full adjustable suspension, Brembo six-piston brakes, carbon panels, the works. It comes with spares too: wheels, bodywork, suspension parts. Build cost was roughly $650,000, so this is a rare shot at a proper next-gen Cup car for way less.

Collectors get a piece of history driven by a world champion. Teams get a ready-to-race road-course weapon. Either way, it’s one of the coolest cars to hit the open market in years. Anyone interested can reach out to Hezemans Racing for details. And while one legend’s ride looks for a new home, a bunch of NASCAR stars are getting recognized on a global stage.

NASCAR stars earn global nod at Autosport Awards

Two NASCAR rookies made the shortlist for Rookie of the Year at the Autosport Awards. Shane van Gisbergen took the Cup Series by storm, winning five races as a rookie, a new record, and making the playoffs with Trackhouse. Connor Zilisch dominated Xfinity, grabbing ten wins with JR Motorsports and reaching the Championship 4.

Hendrick Motorsports landed a nomination too after clinching their 15th title in 31 years, ending Penske’s three-year streak. Two of their drivers reached the final four, all four made the playoffs, and William Byron repeated as Daytona 500 winner.

The wild Phoenix finale got a Moment of the Year nod when Cliff Daniels called two tires in overtime, putting Kyle Larson in position to grab third and the championship without leading a single lap in the race.

NASCAR YouTuber Eric Estepp also picked up a nomination for top creator. His channel, which started as diecast stop-motion videos 14 years ago, now has over 250,000 subscribers and has become a go-to spot for fans wanting fresh takes on the sport.