Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 program has been highly effective since its introduction. Fans were treated to great news this week when it was announced that IndyCar Series legend Helio Castroneves will drive the #91 car during the upcoming NASCAR season and attempt to race in the Daytona 500. But that is pretty much all for the part-time entry.
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Team owner Justin Marks told NBC Sports in a recent interview that the schedule of the fourth car will depend on the resources that his three full-time Cup Series cars need. The team will expand to a three-car operation in the 2025 season, with Shane van Gisbergen joining the lineup alongside Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez.
The expansion’s demands can only be understood on a real-time basis, and this is what Marks provided as his reason for the uncertainty surrounding the future of the project, as well as a fourth full-time entry for the team. He said, “We’ve got three (full-time) cars that we’re going to be competing with this year to try to get into the playoffs. … That is really the priority of the company.”
“When it comes to kind of the future of Project 91 and how we view the program, it really has to fit around competitive and effective workflow for our three full-time cars,” he added. Trackhouse Racing will be one of the strongest teams on the field in 2025, with three stellar drivers powering it. Understandably, he doesn’t want to weaken their position through a side quest.
Can Castroneves join Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt?
Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt are the only drivers who have won the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. Being a four-time Indy 500 winner, Castroneves has the golden chance to join his predecessors. The first step in this journey will be to grab a spot in the field either through single-car qualifying speed or via the Daytona Duels.
Despite his reluctance to confirm more races for him, Marks was pleased with bringing Castroneves to stock car racing. He told the press, “Helio is one of the greatest drivers of all time and exactly the type of driver we want to bring to NASCAR. I think race fans around the world will be excited to see Helio in NASCAR’s most prestigious race.”
Project 91 brought the F1 superstar Kimi Raikkonen to NASCAR in 2022 through a race in Watkins Glen. In 2023, it did the motorsports world a huge favor by introducing Shane van Gisbergen to NASCAR. It is only reasonable to hope that Castroneves will keep the record clean with an impressive outing at The Great American Race.
