![]() ![]() Castroneves wants to finally take home an Ind圜ar championship-he's arguably the most successful racer in the series without a title-and wants to go to Le Mans with Acura.Īfter singing the praises of his team, Castroneves did address his age. He believes the team has a great chance at another 500, especially now that it has signed his former Penske teammate and good friend Simon Pagenaud. I want to create that same scenario at MSR, which we are."ĭespite all their success already, Helio believes there's more to come from the partnership. But when you ask, you better deliver, too, because you're asking for it. "Roger was a big believer in hiring the best people and letting them do their job," he says. He's committed to building something great and long-lasting with MSR. He believes the best drivers build and sustain momentum, elevating the team with them. Of course, Helio isn't a passive member of the team. But you have the same special feeling that he has, which is passion about racing.''' That's the way he was raised, and it works for him. Roger is an amazing example, but that's his style, corporate guy. "All of these people succeed because they're really passionate," he says. "That's the kind of people Mike has, and that's awesome."Ĭastroneves is effusive in his praise for Shank and the organization he's built. "I knew I could do it, and I didn't want to let you down," Castroneves recalls him saying. The wheel gunner showed him his leg, totally purple from an injury the week before the race, and Castroneves was taken aback, asking him why he didn't sit out the 500. The team managed the sixth fastest pit stop in the race, and at the celebration the next day, the wheel gunner came in limping.Ĭastroneves was joking around with the guy, asking to see the injury. He was slipping and having issues." Early Sunday morning before the race, the team wasn't sure who'd be the tire changer on the right rear corner, until the mechanic spoke up and said he felt he was up to the task. "We were having issues with the right wheel guy," Castroneves says. He shares a story of a wheel gunner at last year's 500 to highlight the character of those he's working with. ![]() Helio says linking up with MSR gave him newfound energy, and has nothing but great things to say about the team. But after winning the 500 in a one-off entry with the relatively young Meyer-Shank Racing team, the world realized that Castroneves had no intention to slow down. Penske ended its Acura sports car program after the 2020 season (in preparation for an upcoming Porsche program), and for the first time this century, Castroneves was a free agent.įor a brief moment, it seemed Helio was headed for a quiet end to his career, signing to run Tony Stewart's IROC-esque, made-for-TV Superstar Racing Experience (SRX), a dirt-track series for mostly retired racing stars. ![]() Castroneves was hesitant to leave Ind圜ar, but stayed with Penske out of loyalty. In 2017, Roger Penske asked Castroneves to join his new Acura prototype program as a full-timer. He's one of the stars of the sport, known for his big, cheerful personality and his penchant for climbing fences after a race win, a habit that earned him the nickname "Spiderman." While he's never won an Ind圜ar title-something he hopes to change with MSR-he's always been in the fight, finishing runner-up four times. "If I don't have good pit stops, if I don't have a good operation, if I don't have people that believe in you either, it's not going to happen."Ĭastroneves spent most of his career with Team Penske, joining the powerhouse operation in 2000 and running 18 full-time Ind圜ar seasons. "I can't do without a good team behind me," he says. In an interview with Road & Track earlier this month, Castroneves was very quick to remind that racing is a team sport, even if at the end of the day, he's the one in the car. ![]() Not that he wants to take too much credit for all this recent success.
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