By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will race in the Daytona 500 as a special 41st driver under a new rule that allows for a “world-class driver” to receive a provisional spot.
The Brazilian did not want to use the provisional and hoped to race his way into the field. But he was involved in an early eight-car accident that sent his Chevrolet behind the wall for repairs and took him out of contention for one of the open spots available in his Thursday night 150-mile qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway.
“Unfortunately, we’re going to have to take the provisional,” Castroneves said. “That’s not what we wanted, but we will. And, in the end, we have more to learn.”
Bubba Wallace in a Toyota for Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing won the first of the two qualifying races, which are used to set the starting order for Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500.
“I’ve wanted one of these Duel wins for so long,” Wallace said. “All my buddies got one. I got one now. I’m good.”
One driver from each of the qualifiers advances into “The Great American Race” and it was reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier who outdueled J.J. Yeley to earn the lone “open” available spot in the first race.
Allgaier making the race will mark the Cup Series debut for JR Motorsports, which is owned by two-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister. The car is sponsored by a whiskey label founded by Grammy winner Chris Stapleton.
“This means a lot to our team, this little team of JR Motorsports. Dale Jr. is an amazing race car driver. He’s an amazing dad, car owner. You can tell how much he wanted this and our whole shop wanted this,” Allgaier said. “To see this happen, everybody at Traveler Whiskey, Chris Stapleton will be here on Sunday. I’m excited to see him here and debut this car in the Daytona 500 and JR Motorsports in the Daytona 500.”
Austin Cindric in a Ford for Team Penske won the second qualifying race after NASCAR ruled he was ahead of Erik Jones when the caution came out on the final lap. Jones had thought he had won the first Daytona qualifying race in the No. 43 since Richard Petty in 1977 and was on the front stretch when NASCAR declared Cindric the winner.
“What just happened?” Cindric asked when he learned he was the winner.
Cindric had to walk from pit lane across the infield grass to collect the checkered flag, only to discover there was no flag. He instead climbed toward the fans and tossed his hat to a fan.
Jones was disappointed.
“It’s a wide-range of emotions, it’s a bummer,” Jones said. “I don’t know what we could have done different. It’s the rule. Hopefully, we can be in that same spot Sunday.”
Corey LaJoie, in a part-time ride for Rick Ware Racing, earned the final open spot in the field.
“You forget how special this race is, when you are racing full-time it’s the first race of 36,” LaJoie said. “We’ve got 500 miles on Sunday to see if we can get a little closer to the front.”
Castroneves’ crash means he will be the 41st entry, making Sunday’s race the largest field since 43 cars was the standard in 2015. Trackhouse Racing will not receive any points or purse payout for Castroneves’ efforts Sunday, and, every driver who finishes below him will move up in the order.
“I was having a good time,” Castroneves said. “The good news is hopefully the guys will be able to fix the car. I learned so much, such small details that folks from the other side of TV don’t understand. It’s so interesting. And I love it.”
The provisional has been controversial in that seven-time NASCAR champion and two-time Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson and 2017 NASCAR champion Martin Truex Jr. didn’t understand why they weren’t considered as the designated “world-class driver.”
It’s because the rule was written into the new charter agreements that teams signed in September and neither Johnson nor Truex were aware it existed until after it was formally announced. By then, the 90-days advance notice to request the provisional had passed.
No matter, Johnson and Truex each earned their spots in the Daytona 500 field during Wednesday night’s time trials.
Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is like no other race in that only the front row is set in time trials – Chase Briscoe for Joe Gibbs Racing won the pole and will start alongside Cindric of Team Penske – plus the two fastest drivers from the nine “open” entries claim a spot. The other two open spots were decided in Thursday night’s qualifying races.
WALLACE CELEBRATES WITH NEW OUTLOOK
Wallace vowed to try to “enjoy the little stuff” this season. It showed in Victory Lane.
“Can I get a Rolex for this one?” Wallace quipped, referring to what winners receive after the Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car race.
Wallace showed enough speed in Thursday’s qualifying victory to make him one of the favorites heading into “The Great American Race.”
“Man, what a night,” said Wallace, who will now start third in the Daytona 500 behind pole-sitterBriscoe and Cindric. Wallace’s win continued Toyota’s early dominance at Daytona International Speedway, where Briscoe won the pole in his new Joe Gibbs Racing ride.
The 31-year-old Wallace celebrated his first victory at Daytona by spraying a Coke at his crew, hugging Denny Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI Racing along with Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, and then lifting his newborn high into the air a la “The Lion King.” The baby was wearing noise-protective headphones and a checkered-flag bib while sucking on a pacifier.
Wallace and wife Amanda welcomed Becks Hayden Wallace in late September. Wallace said he “lost it walking out on pit road” while carrying his 4-month-old son. He found himself shedding more tears while frolicking in victory with his family.
“It is the coolest thing having a kid,” Wallace said. “You never know if you’re ready. I regret not having one earlier. He’s brought so much joy and new perspective. I feel like I’m walking lighter because of him. Four months old, and he’s already changed my life.”
Wallace has talked openly about past battles with his mental health. And coming to Daytona has provided more stress than success, with Wallace being 0 for 15 in races at Daytona – although he’s finished second twice in the season-opening 500.
“Tired of talking about it,” he joked.
“I felt like every time I’ve strapped into a race car at Daytona 500, I’ve been able to win and just things haven’t worked out like that,” said Wallace, who has finished in the top 15 in 12 of his 15 starts at Daytona. “I don’t think there’s one time that I haven’t felt that. You have to show up and have that drive and passion that you’re going to win. But you also have to put yourself in the right spot.”
It nearly happened in 2018 and 2022, but Wallace came up just short in both Daytona 500s.
“I think you’ve got to crawl before you can walk,” he said. “Second-place finishes I guess wasn’t crawling enough. So maybe the Duel win is. Now we can put ourselves in a little bit better spot.
“I feel like we’ve done just about everything right. But just about everything isn’t good enough to win the 500. It’s got to be perfect, and we’ve just got to really focus on how to do that and when that time comes be in the same spot here Sunday.”
Wallace said a day earlier he “couldn’t care less” if President Donald Trump attends the Daytona 500. Trump accused the NASCAR Cup Series’ only Black full-time driver of perpetrating “a hoax” five years ago when a crewmember found a noose in the team garage stall.
Trump suggested in July 2020 that Wallace should apologize after the sport rallied around him following the discovery of the noose in his assigned stall at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. Federal authorities ruled that the noose had been hanging since October and was not a hate crime. NASCAR and the FBI have referred exclusively to the rope – which was used to pull the garage door closed – as a noose.
Wallace declined to say much about the possibility that Trump could return to NASCAR’s biggest race as a sitting president for the second time.
“We’re here to race,” Wallace said. “Not for the show.”
