148 Facts About Helio Castroneves

Helio Castroneves is a Brazilian auto racing driver.

Helio Castroneves has won the Indianapolis 500 a record-equalling four times: in 2001,2002,2009, and 2021.

Helio Castroneves won the 2021 24 Hours of Daytona with Wayne Taylor Racing and the 2022 24 Hours of Daytona with Meyer Shank Racing, and was runner-up in the IndyCar Series drivers' championship in 2002,2008,2013, and 2014.

Helio Castroneves entered Championship Auto Racing Teams in 1998 with Bettenhausen Racing and with Hogan Racing in 1999, achieving one second place each with both teams.

Helio Castroneves moved to Team Penske in place of Greg Moore for 2000 and 2001, winning three races in both years.

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Helio Castroneves debuted in the Indy Racing League in 2001, competing in two races and winning the Indianapolis 500.

Helio Castroneves drove full time in the IRL from 2002, winning the Indy 500 for a second straight year and finishing runner-up to Sam Hornish Jr.

Helio Castroneves finished third in 2003 and 2006 and was runner-up to Scott Dixon in 2008.

Helio Castroneves achieved one further series win in 2017 before leaving full-time IndyCar racing to make his IMSA SportsCar Championship debut with Penske at the 2017 Petit Le Mans, paired with Ricky Taylor.

Helio Castroneves won one race and finished seventh in the 2018 Prototype standings and improved to third with five podiums in 2019.

Helio Castroneves is one of the most popular drivers in IndyCar for his personality, and his celebration of climbing the fencing beside a track after a victory, for which he was sometimes nicknamed "Spider-Man".

Helio Castroneves won the fifth season of Dancing with the Stars with professional dancer Julianne Hough.

Helio Castroneves has an elder sister, Katiucia, who is his business manager.

In 2000, he changed his surname from Castro Neves to Castroneves to stop the media misidentifying him as "Helio Neves" or "Helio Castro".

Helio Castroneves has a daughter with his long-time partner Adriana Henao.

From early 1981 to 1986, Helio Castroneves observed his father's minor stock car team race on weekends by being sneaked into a car's trunk in racing overalls and helmet, allowing him into a circuit.

On his 11th birthday, Helio Castroneves received his first go-kart from race car driver Alfredo Guarana Menezes, and began driving at a karting track in Sao Paulo.

Helio Castroneves's mother disliked racing, urging him to focus on schooling and enrolling him in less dangerous sports, such as association football, judo, swimming, tennis, and volleyball.

Helio Castroneves played those sports infrequently before telling his mother he wanted to focus on racing.

Helio Castroneves was inspired by Ayrton Senna, a three-time Formula One world champion.

Helio Castroneves's father enrolled him in the Karting State Championships in Sao Paulo in early 1987.

Helio Castroneves won his first trophy mid-year by bettering himself, as his father sold his Rio de Janeiro property to establish and finance a karting team around his son.

Helio Castroneves' mother disapproved because she believed he could opt to stop karting and was fearful of him not having a backup career.

Helio Castroneves won the 1989 Brazilian National Go-Kart Championship at age 14.

From October 1989 to March 1990, Helio Castroneves did weightlifting and played tennis to improve his physique.

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Helio Castroneves raced in the 1991 Karting World Cup in France without registration trouble, finishing 25th, and won more races in Brazil.

Aged 16 in late 1991, Helio Castroneves progressed into car racing, competing in Formula Chevrolet Brazil, a series for finishing go-karters.

Helio Castroneves's parents hired a trainer to help him lift weights for better car control and took him to a local recreational center.

Helio Castroneves moved to the higher-tier Formula 3 Sudamericana in 1993 driving a Ralt RT34-Mugen Honda car with Copral and later the funded Amir Nasr Racing Team.

Helio Castroneves was championship runner-up to Argentinean driver Fernando Croceri with four victories, eight podium finishes and 57 points.

Helio Castroneves progressed to the Brazilian Formula Three Championship in 1994 with the Amir Nasr Racing Team, finishing second overall with three victories, four pole positions and 52 points from eight races.

For 1995, Helio Castroneves drove a Dallara F395-Mugen Honda car for Paul Stewart Racing in the British Formula Three Championship.

Helio Castroneves's father obtained sponsorship from a Brazilian bank, and mid-way through 1995, sold his business assets, private company and Katicia's university apartment to help finance his son's career.

Helio Castroneves was third in the drivers' championship with 169 points, six podiums and a win at Donington Park.

Helio Castroneves finished third in the Masters of Formula 3 at Circuit Zandvoort and crashed out of the Macau Grand Prix.

Helio Castroneves achieved his first career top-ten finish in CART, a ninth at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, followed by a season-high second in the Miller 200 at Milwaukee Mile.

Helio Castroneves was 17th in the drivers' championship with 36 points, and was second to Kanaan in the Rookie of the Year standings.

In mid-1998 Chip Ganassi Racing wanted Helio Castroneves to replace the Formula One-bound Alex Zanardi; Team Rahal were interested in him.

Helio Castroneves was ninth in the Firestone Firehawk 500K at Twin Ring Motegi, before coming second in the Motorola 300 at Gateway International Raceway.

Helio Castroneves ended his working relationship with Fittipaldi soon after for career mismanagement.

Helio Castroneves found the Honda engine's driveability different from Mercedes-Benz's, and was at first, not friends with his teammate de Ferran because they were competitors.

Helio Castroneves finished second at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, his only points finish in the first six races.

Helio Castroneves led the final 24 laps of the Grand Prix of Detroit in his first series victory after Juan Pablo Montoya retired with mechanical trouble.

Helio Castroneves won the Miller Lite 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, took five top-tens, and a third victory in the Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca.

Helio Castroneves changed his strategy on a race-by-race basis, getting support from de Ferran and his teammate's pit crew.

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Helio Castroneves started from pole position in the Firestone Firehawk 500 at Motegi, leading more laps than any other driver to finish second, and led every lap of the Grand Prix of Detroit for his second victory of 2001.

Helio Castroneves achieved a third win at the Miller Lite 200 to go one point behind championship leader Kenny Brack, and overtook the latter after finishing seventh in the Motorola 220.

Helio Castroneves lost the points lead after coming 18th in Indy Vancouver, but claimed three top sixes in the final six races to finish fourth in the drivers' standings with 141 points.

Helio Castroneves debuted in the Indy Racing League in 2001, driving Penske's No 68 Dallara IR-01-Oldsmobile car, at the season-opening Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 at Phoenix to understand the series before the Indianapolis 500.

Helio Castroneves started 17th but retired with engine failure after three-quarters race distance.

Helio Castroneves switched to the IRL from the 2002 season since Marlboro wanted Penske to focus on the American market.

Helio Castroneves finished no lower than ninth in the next nine races, battling his teammate De Ferran and Panther Racing's Sam Hornish Jr.

Helio Castroneves impressed Toyota with his performance but was told CART champion Cristiano da Matta signed as a race driver for 2003.

Helio Castroneves told Penske he would stay with the team, citing his fair and loyal treatment towards him.

The beginning of the season saw Helio Castroneves earn two top threes in Homestead-Miami, Phoenix, and the Indianapolis 500.

Helio Castroneves took two straight second places at Richmond International Raceway and Kansas Speedway and won at Gateway International Raceway and Nazareth Speedway to take the points to lead.

Helio Castroneves led most of the season-opening Toyota Indy 300 before Hornish passed him on the final lap to win.

Helio Castroneves took eight more top tens, four pole positions, and overtook Andretti Green Racing's Dan Wheldon to lead the final 21 laps of the season-ending race at Texas for his only win of 2004.

Helio Castroneves' finished fourth in the drivers' championship with 440 points.

Helio Castroneves began the season with a fifth place in the Toyota Indy 300 and a second at the following XM Satellite Radio 200.

Helio Castroneves started fifth and led 40 laps for his first series road course win in the Grand Prix of St Petersburg.

Helio Castroneves took a second successive victory at Motegi, leading 184 laps from pole position to lead Wheldon by 42 championship points entering the Indianapolis 500.

Helio Castroneves won the Bombardier LearJet 500 after strategic errors by his teammate Hornish and CGR before tire problems at Kansas and a sixth place at Kansas lost him the points lead to Hornish.

Helio Castroneves began the year with four top nines, leading 95 laps from pole position to win the Grand Prix of St Petersburg.

Helio Castroneves took his third career Indianapolis 500 pole position, finishing the rain-shortened race third after pre-race electrical and fueling problems.

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Helio Castroneves took six top-nines, and three more pole positions in the final ten races for sixth overall in points with 446.

Helio Castroneves began the 2008 season by finishing no lower than fourth in the first four rounds with consecutive second places at St Petersburg and Motegi to take the early points lead.

Helio Castroneves finished second in both Texas and Richmond with consecutive pole positions at Nashville and Mid-Ohio, both of which did not result in a race victory.

Helio Castroneves won the Peak Antifreeze Indy Grand Prix at Infineon Raceway leading a race-high 51 laps from pole position to end a 29-race winless streak.

Helio Castroneves needed to win the race and for Dixon to finish 11th or lower to become the champion.

Helio Castroneves began in 28th due to a track limit penalty, beating Dixon by 0.

An IRS agent testified Helio Castroneves owed every amount of taxable income despite the driver not receiving any of it.

The defense argued Helio Castroneves focused on racing rather than his income; he was unaware of his finances and disliked Dutch and Panamanian business dealings.

Helio Castroneves signed a multi-year contract with Penske from the 2009 season; Will Power replaced him for the season-opening St Petersburg race before Helio Castroneves returned for the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Helio Castroneves took six more top-tens, including a second place in the Edmonton Indy, and pole position in the Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway.

Helio Castroneves was eliminated from championship contention at Chicago, and finished fourth overall with 433 points.

Helio Castroneves won the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama to extend his record of winning a race to ten straight seasons.

Five races later, at the Honda Indy Edmonton, Helio Castroneves was the first to finish, but was demoted to tenth after he was deemed to have blocked his teammate Power.

Helio Castroneves won two consecutive races, at Kentucky Speedway and Motegi, before ending the season with a fifth at Homestead-Miami.

The rest of Helio Castroneves' season included two-second places at Edmonton and Sonoma, and three top-nines.

Helio Castroneves was 11th overall with 312 points, his lowest finish since he was sixth in both 2005 and 2007.

Helio Castroneves signed a contract extension with Penske prior to the 2012 season.

Helio Castroneves took pole position for the following Indy Grand Prix of Alabama and finished third.

Helio Castroneves then took three sixth places at Milwaukee, Iowa and Toronto.

Helio Castroneves ended the season with three more top-tens for fourth overall with 431 points.

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Helio Castroneves resigned with Penske for the 2013 season; the team modified his car in the off-season.

Helio Castroneves fell to third after finishing 13th in the Sao Paulo Indy 300, He qualified eighth for the Indianapolis 500; rev limiter issues left him in sixth.

Helio Castroneves took two more second places at Milwaukee and the second Toronto race and finished no lower than ninth in the next eight races.

Helio Castroneves took pole position for the first Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix race and won the second.

Helio Castroneves relinquished the points lead after a throttle problem left him 19th in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.

Helio Castroneves achieved consecutive second places in the Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana and the Grand Prix of Long Beach and two pole positions.

Helio Castroneves started fifth and ran consistently within the top five but finished seventh.

The rest of the season saw Helio Castroneves achieve consecutive third places in the Firestone 600 and the Honda Indy Toronto and was second in the ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 along with two more pole positions for fourth overall with 453 points.

Helio Castroneves took another podium finish two races later, a second place at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.

Helio Castroneves achieved two more podium finishes, a second in the Honda Indy Toronto, and a third in the IndyCar Grand Prix at the Glen.

Helio Castroneves led the first 73 laps of the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix for fourth after winning pole.

Helio Castroneves began from a career-low 19th in the Indianapolis 500, moving through the field to finish second after a late race duel for the win with Takuma Sato.

Helio Castroneves earned his 50th pole position in the Kohler Grand Prix at Road America, and went on to lead 214 laps in his first victory in 54 races in the Iowa Corn 300.

Helio Castroneves finished no lower than eighth in the next five races, and entered the season's final race, the Grand Prix of Sonoma 22 points behind championship leader and teammate Josef Newgarden and 19 behind Dixon.

Helio Castroneves finished in fifth place to be fourth overall with 598 points.

Helio Castroneves was entered into both the IndyCar Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 as part of his 2018 campaign; he prepared for the races by sharing notes with his teammates and familiarizing himself with the car.

Helio Castroneves' team employed a strategy allowing him to finish sixth in the IndyCar Grand Prix.

Helio Castroneves finished the IndyCar Grand Prix two laps behind the leaders in 21st.

Helio Castroneves started 12th in the Indianapolis 500, finishing the race 18th following a pit lane collision with the rear of James Davison's car earning him a drive-through penalty.

Helio Castroneves began the 2020 Indianapolis 500 from 27th and finished the race in 11th.

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Helio Castroneves signed to race for Arrow McLaren SP in place of the unfit Oliver Askew at the Harvest Grand Prix in his first IndyCar start for a team other than Penske since 1999.

Helio Castroneves finished 20th in the first race and 21st in the second.

Helio Castroneves had asked MSR to enter him in more races but the request was denied.

At the Indianapolis 500, Helio Castroneves achieved his record-tying fourth career victory in the event after a late-race pass on Alex Palou.

Helio Castroneves went on to score one more top ten finish at Nashville in his final five races of 2021 to finish 22nd overall with 158 points.

Helio Castroneves achieved a season-best result of seventh at the Indianapolis 500 and scored two other top-ten finishes at Long Beach and Mid-Ohio in placing 18th overall with 263 points accumulated.

Helio Castroneves made his endurance racing debut in the 2006 Mil Milhas Brasil, winning after 374 laps in a shared GTP1-class Aston Martin DBR9 with Nelson Piquet, Nelson Piquet Jr.

Helio Castroneves entered at the 2007 24 Hours of Daytona, sharing Michael Shank Racing's No 60 Riley Daytona Prototype car with Hornish, Oswaldo Negri Jr.

Two months later, Helio Castroneves drove the No 7 Penske Porsche RS Spyder Evo car with Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas in the Le Mans Prototype 2 category of the 12 Hours of Sebring, finishing third in class and fifth overall.

Helio Castroneves returned to the Rolex Sports Car Series to share the No 9 Penske-Taylor Racing Riley DP car with Ryan Briscoe and Kurt Busch in the 2008 24 Hours of Daytona.

Mears told Helio Castroneves to remain at Penske because of Roger Penske's personality.

Helio Castroneves formally joined Penske's 2018 IMSA program in October 2017.

Helio Castroneves was joined by Ricky Taylor for the entire season, and by Graham Rahal for the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans.

Helio Castroneves referenced his teammates Dane Cameron and Montoya, and communicated constantly with his race engineer and Taylor.

Helio Castroneves was seventh in the Prototype drivers' standings with 243 points and was third in the North American Endurance Cup.

Helio Castroneves again partnered Taylor in the No 7 car, joined by Rossi at the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring and Rahal in the season-ending Petit Le Mans.

Helio Castroneves was again teamed with Taylor in the No 7 vehicle, with Rossi joining them for the endurance races.

Helio Castroneves' team was comprised in the fourth hour of the season-opening 24 Hours of Daytona following a collision with Harry Tincknell restricting them to finishing 22 laps down in eighth.

Helio Castroneves won consecutive races in the rain-affected Road Race Showcase at Road America from pole position, the Grand Prix of Road Atlanta, and the Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio.

Helio Castroneves replaced Olivier Pla in the No 60 MSR Acura ARX-05 DPi car he shared with Montoya and Cameron at the season-ending Petit Le Mans.

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Helio Castroneves has been signed by MSR to share its No 60 Acura ARX-05 entry for the Endurance Cup races of the 2022 IMSA season alongside full-season racers Tom Blomqvist and Jarvis.

Helio Castroneves fended off Taylor in the final laps of the 2022 24 Hours of Daytona to win the event for the second year in succession.

Helio Castroneves was invited to compete in the International Race of Champions in 2002,2003,2004, and 2005.

Helio Castroneves visited the team's factory for a seat fitting as preparation.

In late 2012, Helio Castroneves joined Shell Racing in the season-ending Stock Car Brasil race, the Stock Car Corrida do Milhao, after a sponsor invited him to enter with Roger Penske's support.

Helio Castroneves was signed as a guest driver for Shell Racing in the seventh round of the 2013 Stock Car Brasil at Ribeirao Preto Street Circuit; doctors ordered his withdrawal due to sustaining bruised ribs, neck sprain and a deep shin cut in a practice accident.

Helio Castroneves returned with the same team for the 2018 Race of Champions Nations Cup, this time with Montoya, finishing runner-up to Team Germany's Bernhard and Rene Rast.

At the 2019 Race of Champions, Helio Castroneves joined Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi at Team Brazil, being knocked out of the semi-finals of the Nations Cup by Team Germany's Mick Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

Helio Castroneves competed in the Superstar Racing Experience in 2021, finishing fifth in the points standings with six top-ten finishes.

Helio Castroneves was encouraged by Apolo Ohno, an Olympic speed skater, to participate on dance program Dancing with the Stars in 2007.

Helio Castroneves was accepted onto its fifth season by the casting director and producers, who watched a video of him and his teammate's Hornish driving styles in different locations.

Helio Castroneves was paired with professional dancer Julianne Hough, with whom he built a rapport due to their similar personalities.

Helio Castroneves prepared by watching episodes of the fourth season and instruction videos.

The couple lasted until the finals, which they won with a higher percentage of the public vote than singer Mel B When he won Dancing with the Stars Castroneves appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in February 2008.

Helio Castroneves was inspired to write the book to convey his negative emotions in his tax evasion trial and how he dealt with them.

Helio Castroneves was selected to be a judge on Miss Universe 2011, a beauty pageant held that September in Sao Paulo.

In 2012 Helio Castroneves appeared on Dancing with the Stars' 15th season and was partnered with Chelsie Hightower.

Helio Castroneves appeared on the December 17,2012 edition of The Jeff Probst Show, and featured on an episode of Celebrity Wife Swap's third season in 2014.

Helio Castroneves is one of IndyCar's most popular drivers; Dave Caldwell of The New York Times noted Helio Castroneves' personality transcends IndyCar through his achievements and media attention outside it.

Helio Castroneves began the tradition with his first CART victory in Detroit in 2000 and repeated it each time he won a race.

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Helio Castroneves's photogenic looks have been picked up the press, Including People, ESPN The Magazine, and Cosmopolitan.

Helio Castroneves has done business with oil companies Pennzoil, Shell, and electronics company SMS Audio.

Helio Castroneves was part of the National Motorsports Coalition that spoke about spectators returning to race tracks and his season to the Congressional Motorsports Caucus in June 2021.