
Over the roar of the crowd, she could be heard tearfully repeating a phrase in their native Portuguese: “Voce e’ o melhor! Voce e’ o melhor!”. Afterwards, his Mother- who instilled in him the virtues of discipline and understanding- tearfully embraced the boy she once hesitated to let race. Twenty years ago, he won his 2nd Indy 500 in as many attempts. Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and American Coach owner Helio Castroneves gives us a quick tour of his rig, how hes customized it, and how he uses it at. The best part of it, he admits, is telling ‘Dad jokes’. Today, his daughter Mikaella is the apple of his eye, although Castroneves admits parenting is a much harder role than he ever anticipated.
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He drove in 4 racing series before landing in Ind圜ar full time, and, in 2009, was acquitted on American tax evasion charges. He simplified his last name from Castro Neves to eradicate possibility of association as simply a Neves or a Castro. “If you woke up tired and lazy, your whole day will be like that”, he says. Rather, he simply starts each day with a mindset. He doesn’t turn to sugar or coffee to get it- Castroneves only enjoys the occasional latte. He rivaled against the best karters Brazil had to offer: young talents like Felipe Giaffone, Bruno Junqueira and Tony Kanaan.īy age 13, he had shown enough promise to, with hesitation from his mother, become home schooled while channeling increased energy towards racing. His kart racing took him back to Sao Paolo on weekends, his mother imploring the importance of education while his father cultivated Helio’s driving prowess. Introduced to the sport by watching his father’s stock car hobby, by age 11 Helio had his own go-kart. What was building inside little Helio was a racing fascination There, in the land of sugar and coffee crops, Helio felt the need for speed. His father had toiled in the automobile industry, but moved the family north in pursuit of a career with a small construction company. His mother, a former teacher, instilled the virtues of education and discipline in young Helio and his older sister Kati. He won two poles, had three podium finishes and a class victory in the 2008 Petit Le Mans event. He drove in his first 20 Indy 500s, through 2020, for Team Penske. Castroneves has also made five starts for Team Penske in sports car competition. 06 car for Meyer Shank Racing, using a Honda engine. It was there, in a city the size of Indianapolis on the edge of the Brazilian sugar cane fields, that he fell in love with racing.īorn Helio Alves de Castro Neves on in Sao Paolo Brazil, his family shortly thereafter moved to the agricultural area 150 What team does Helio Castroneves drive for Castroneves drives the No. Before they were waltzing to a “Dancing with the Stars” crown on ABC, Helio Castroneves’ feet were traipsing through the “red foot” clays of Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
