So he’s very aware when Jim and I are sitting with potential sponsors or a partner, an OEM.

“Helio has made a lot of money, but he wants to build his life after this. But I don’t know if he wants to pay for it. 06 Dallara-Honda that Castroneves drove to the IMS Winners Circle last year) told NBC Sports that the driver “would love to have some equity (in the team). With a laugh that Castroneves is “woke,” Mike Shank (co-owner with Jim Meyer of the No. Recently polling third in an Ind圜ar popularity survey, Castroneves, 47, is the oldest driver featured on the cover of the 2022 Ind圜ar media guide’s “Defy Everything” campaign (which also includes Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta) by at least a decade.īut belying the off-the-wall and happy-go-lucky persona is some serious ambition that includes team ownership – possibly even at Meyer Shank Racing, where he has embraced the role of team leader who’s been given a fresh start at ushering an upstart team into the Ind圜ar establishment. If it’s not only in the race car, it’s making the sponsors and the team united or better or going to the next level.Ī captivating mix of big-game auto racing hunter (an Indy 500 and two Rolex 24 wins in the past 16 months) and savvy businessman (the car dealership he co-owns with Roger Penske is part of a burgeoning portfolio), Castroneves remains among the most appealing stars of the NTT Ind圜ar Series two decades into his career. “But it’s proving to myself that I know I can be better and that motivation to keep trying to find the limit. “I know, I know,” Castroneves said with a laugh.

Wait, winning four Indy 500s - and having a shot to be the first to win a fifth in the race’s 106th running May 29 - hadn’t proved enough? “It’s funny that I love the feeling that I have to keep proving it,” Castroneves told NBC Sports recently. RECALLING HELIO’S INDY WINS: His first in 2001 l The 2002 controversy After being mildly surprised he wasn't cleared by Ind圜ar's medical team for that July 2 race in Ohio, Pagenaud has now missed six races, including this weekend on the IMS road course.STARTING LINEUP: Where the 33 drivers will take the green flag After finishes of 15th (Pagnenaud) and 18th (Castroneves) in the full-season championship, Pagenaud had actually fallen outside the top-20 in points before a violent crash in practice at Mid-Ohio last month delivered the Frenchman a concussion, the symptoms of which he's yet to be able to shake.

They also finished in the top-10 at Mid-Ohio and entered the offseason cautiously optimistic. In 2022, thy combined for 10 top-10 finishes - highlighted by Pagenaud's runner-up finish on the IMS road course and the pair's top-10 finishes in the 500. They drove together at Team Penske for three years. Castroneves and teammate Simon Pagenaud entered the 2023 season in contract years and have struggled mightily after an up-and-down 2022 season. So having him transition to this role is really exciting for everyone involved.”īlomqvist, who made his Ind圜ar debut last month in Toronto, will partner with a driver yet-to-be-determined, as team owner Shank mulls his options. 'Helio brings so much to what we do overall as a team, both in terms of our competition package and all of his experience, as well as how he’s able to engage with our partners.

Helio castroneves race car