Helio Castroneves experienced a challenging end to his Daytona 500 debut when he was caught in a multi-car crash on lap 71 in Turn 1. The incident occurred after race leader Joey Logano struggled on a restart due to mechanical issues, leading to a chain reaction that involved Martin Truex Jr. and Ross Chastain.

The four-time Indianapolis 500 champion, who started 41st, finished 39th after a broken axle ended his race prematurely. Despite the disappointing finish, Castroneves remained positive about his NASCAR Cup Series debut, describing it as an "incredible" learning experience.

The crash marked the culmination of what Castroneves called a "roller coaster" week, which included incidents during his Thursday night qualifying duel and multiple challenges in Saturday's ARCA Menards Series race.

"I was learning so much about airflow, fuel saving, and getting more comfortable with the whole process," Castroneves said. "The fans have been absolutely outstanding, and this has been an experience I'll never forget."

While there are no immediate NASCAR plans for Castroneves, he expressed interest in returning, particularly for a road course event. He acknowledged the value of the experience gained and thanked Trackhouse Racing and Project 91 for the opportunity, noting that additional seat time would have been beneficial for his stock car racing development.

The Brazilian racing veteran maintained his characteristic optimism throughout the weekend, despite the challenges, and emphasized that he achieved his goals for the experience, even though his race ended earlier than hoped.

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