He says Castroneves’ experience and enthusiasm won him over. Enter Mike Shank, owner of Meyer Shank racing, who was looking for a new driver. Without Penske, Castroneves needed to find a ride. His 21-year run with Team Penske had come to a close. But by 2018, his racing schedule was reduced. In 2009, Castroneves pulled off a stunning pole-to-pole finish for win No. And that day surely was like that.” The spoils of winning the Indy 500 include an orchid-laden wreath and the Borg-Warner trophyįor the second straight year, Castroneves climbed the fence, kissed the bricks, drank the milk, and donned the orchid-laden wreath with Team Penske solidly behind him in Victory Circle.Īnd then the magic disappeared: a seven-year drought ensued. Some days it picks who’s gonna be the winner. So that’s why I say that racetrack is magical. And all of a sudden, I had one opportunity to gamble, and it paid it off. “I remember thinking, ‘I know what to do and I need to do it exactly the same.’ But the race did not go exactly the same. “That year was tough,” Castroneves recalls. Unaware that the yellow flag had been waved, Paul Tracy overtook Castroneves for the lead-but officials disqualified the pass.
#HELIO CASTRONEVES LEAVES PENSKE DRIVERS#
With only one-and-a-half laps to go, two cars collided, and the race was yellow-flagged (preventing drivers from advancing their positions).
Even now, after 105 runnings, it’s a feat that only four Indy 500 drivers have achieved.īut there were naysayers. So when he returned to Brickyard in 2002, he did something that hadn’t been done since the 1970s: winning the race in back-to-back years. “If you’re going into a fight, you can’t be thinking, ‘Maybe I’ll lose today, but hopefully I’ll win in the future.’ No! I’m always competitive, no matter the odds.” Celebrating with his signature Spider-Man fence climb after the 2021 Indy 500.Ĭastroneves is admittedly not one to rest on the laurels of winning one Indianapolis 500. “I always have winning in mind,” he says. That year, Castroneves sat on the starting grid in eleventh position, knowing that only eight rookies in the race’s then-85-year history had pulled off a victory.īut odds don’t faze Castroneves, who led the final 52 laps of the 200-lap race to win his first Indianapolis 500. Second Ind圜ar start was at the 2001 Indianapolis 500, a race known for eating rookies alive. “From that moment, I knew I would be a race car driver.” Castroneves received his first go-kart at age 11 and later rose through racing’s ranks-first in Brazil, then in Europe.Īfter moving to the U.S., he landed a spot with Team Penske in 2000. “The noise of the engines, the smell of the oil,” he recalls. When Castroneves was 5 years old, his dad would smuggle him-wearing a custom fire suit and helmet-onto the pit lane. Castroneves track-side Hitting the RoadĬastroneves’ love of racing began at the feet of his father, who owned a stock car team in their native São Paulo, Brazil. And for Castroneves, the question is not if, but when. To date, he’s won a record-tying four races in that special place. “I always call that place magical,” he says. The Brickyard, as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is affectionately known, is hallowed ground for race fans-Castroneves included. And for Castroneves-who has called Fort Lauderdale home since 2009-the Indianapolis 500 is the sweetest of them all. “The fans love to share your emotions,” he says, “and my blood’s bubbling all the time.”įor Castroneves-who’s earned the nickname “Spider-Man” for those fence-climbing feats-every win makes his blood bubble (consider his recent win at this year’s 24 Hours of Daytona). After crossing the finish line first at 200 miles per hour (or more), Castroneves does something utterly unique: He leaves his car and climbs the fence to celebrate with fans.
#HELIO CASTRONEVES LEAVES PENSKE DRIVER#
Watching driver Hélio Castroneves win a race-and he’s won 31 Ind圜ar series races over his 21-year career-is like seeing joy personified. Shot on location at Room 901 in the Hyatt Centric Las Olas ()
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