After hearing the report, Justin Marks' mother texted Trackhouse Racing's owner to inquire about Helio Castroneves' participation in the Daytona 500 for the NASCAR team.

The four-time Indianapolis 500 champion, who has long yearned to race in NASCAR, would make sense there. Don Hawk, the Superstar Racing Experience's first-year CEO, promised Castroneves that if he won a race in the summer all-star series, Hawk would assist Castroneves in getting a NASCAR start.

Hawk has been clogging up the phone lines since Castroneves won the SRX opening last Saturday night.

To assist international drivers entering NASCAR events, Crackhouse Racing last month unveiled "Project 91." First up is ex-Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen, who will make his Watkins Glen road circuit debut in August.

Hawk stated, "My side job is defending Mr. Castroneves." "Calls have been made, and things are moving forward. We're not quite ready to make any public statements. However, the ball is rolling. Whether we examine more than one race or optional races relies entirely on how this plays out.

"Originally, the plan was for him to compete in the Daytona 500 because it was the crowning achievement. We will thus make a serious effort to make the Daytona 500 successful.

The Crackhouse program immediately sparked talk about Castroneves' potential employment at Project 91. He won the Rolex 24 at Daytona twice, the Indianapolis 500 four times, and the IMSA sports car championship, but he was never able to persuade Roger Penske to give him a chance in NASCAR.

Hawk and Marks have not spoken about Castroneves, but Marks told The Associated Press, "my mom emailed me and asked, "Are you talking to Helio?"

Castroneves is serious about competing in the Daytona 500 in 2019. He is unaware of any possible deals Hawk may be working on. He currently drives for Meyer Shank Racing in IndyCar, a team that does not forbid him from extracurricular activities. He will be 47 years old when "The Great American Race" takes place in February next year.

"I raced for Roger Penske for a long time, but I never had the chance to work there. Because I currently have an option under my contract, Castroneves reasoned, "Why not try something I've never done? I'm now testing SRX, IMSA, and IndyCar. It will come naturally for me to try NASCAR, which I've always wanted to do.

I am aware that it will be difficult, but who knows? In racing, anything can happen. I hope to start a fight with Don and participate in the Daytona 500.

When Tony Stewart created SRX last year, one of his goals was to assist drivers in finding new opportunities, and it succeeded throughout its first season. Seven-time Trans Am Series class champion Ernie Francis Jr.

When he won the SRX race in Indianapolis, it drew Penske's attention and resulted in a full-time ride in the Indy Lights Series this year.

The most significant return for this plan would be if Castroneves converted a victory in the SRX into a Daytona 500 victory.

The most bizarre aspect of Castroneves' agreement with Hawk is that SRX was unaware that Castroneves was competing at Florida's Five Flags Speedway last Saturday night, where he won. His IndyCar schedule constrains his participation throughout the six Saturday evenings, and Castroneves' involvement in the initial race was unclear for some reason.

Last Friday night, it was determined that SRX was unaware of his arrival while he was already en route to Pensacola. The principle of the series is that all the cars are equally ready for top drivers from other racing formulas, and SRX had a vehicle available and waiting for Castroneves when he arrived.

"It demonstrates that the 16 vehicles we created are exactly what we claim they are—identical vehicles. "That car won even though it wasn't going to be raced," stated Hawk. "He played from scratch and prevailed. There were numerous instances where everything went well. We have four other vehicles that you could use by simply putting your seat belt in.

This Saturday, the SRX event at South Boston Speedway in Virginia will be shown live on CBS. The weekly "ringer" entered in the field is Peyton Sellers, a Danville, Virginia native and six-time South Boston track champion.

According to Sellers, this opportunity is at the top of his list of accomplishments. "In 2005, I had the chance to compete in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. At Indianapolis, I had the chance to race an Xfinity car. I've been able to run at many tracks, including Daytona and Talladega. It's important to have drivers of our quality and vehicles of the caliber of the SRX. It's a huge opportunity to be asked to participate in the program SRX has developed, especially given its excellence. It's a huge opportunity to be invited to participate in the program SRX has grown, especially given its excellence.