Rick Mears won his fourth Indianapolis 500 in 1991 in his 14th start. It took A.J. Foyt, the first driver to win four at Indy, 20 starts and Al Unser 22.
LONG BEACH, Calif.-- As the IndyCar Series sped into Southern California for the biggest street race in North America, many intriguing elements came out of the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Helio Castroneves will make his 148th start in the IZOD IndyCar Series in the season-opening race Sunday at St. Petersburg, breaking a tie with Scott Sharp for most in the history of the series. The three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 is also the longest tenured full-time driver in IndyCar, entering his 10th season -- all with Team Penske -- and, including his four entire seasons in CART's Champ Car Series, 15th at the top level of American open-wheel racing.
MOORESVILLE, North Carolina -- After all the tumultuous happenings in NASCAR in the past week, one can only wonder "What can happen next?"
EDMONTON, Alberta -- One of the enduring images of the 2010 IndyCar season is bound to be the fit of rage displayed by Helio Castroneves, who created a YouTube-worthy video when he confronted several officials, including chief of security Charles Burns, at the conclusion of Sunday's race.
SI.com's Bruce Martin is at Indy delivering live insight and analysis.
INDIANAPOLIS -- After a condensed schedule that saw only one week of practice and one weekend of qualifications, it's time to get ready for the "World's Greatest Race" -- the Indianapolis 500.
Dressed in a black collared shirt, black pants, black shoes, and dark sunglasses, the man to beat at this year's Indy 500 strolled through the paddock at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday afternoon, full of swagger. Helio Castroneves waved to fans, signed every piece of paper that was thrust in front of him, and told anyone who would listen that he feels very, very, very good about his chances of making history on Sunday in the 94th running of the Indy 500.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Helio Castroneves ended Saturday's Indianapolis 500 Pole Day "Shootout" with his very first shot.
LEEDS, Alabama -- Helio Castroneves has always been a driver that stands out in a crowd.
Mikaella, who arrived Monday afternoon in Atlanta, is the first child for the Indy car racer
The DWTS champ and his girlfriend have already chosen the name Mikaella for their daughter
TORONTO -- Call this week's column the "Feud Edition" as driver squabbles in Saturday night's NASCAR race at Chicagoland and a revival of the Paul Tracy-Helio Castroneves feud in Sunday's IndyCar Series race gave race fans some added entertainment.
NEW YORK -- Helio Castroneves pushed the estimated 300,000 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the edge of their seats when he surged past Scott Dixon on the 142nd lap of the Indy 500. He brought scads of them to their feet when he streaked across the finish line 58 laps later, fist a-pumping, to his third Indy crown. But the coronation couldn't begin in earnest until the emotive Brazilian (think Roberto Benigni, only tanner and more hirsute) could made his ritual climb up the track fence to indulge in a celebration that has earned him the nickname Spider-Man.
Five things we learned on a sticky day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the 93rd running of the Indy 500:
INDIANAPOLIS -- While the motion picture that is Helio Castroneves' life has more sequels than the old "Rocky" movies, the back story to Sunday's 93rd Indianapolis 500 included the two stars of the 2005 race.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Five weeks ago, Helio Castroneves stared into the abyss, wondering if he would spend Memorial Day in a federal prison as his fate was in the hands of a 12-member jury as they deliberated his fate in a tax evasion trial.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Helio Castroneves' comeback from adversity is complete as the driver from Brazil who five weeks ago could have gone to prison for tax evasion won his third Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.
The 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 is Sunday, and this year's race boasts one of the deepest fields in the event's history. With the return of Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti, and a grid that boasts a number of past champions, the Borg-Warner Trophy is up for grabs.
He is back at his favorite track in the world, driving a tan minivan through the twilight in the infield at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
INDIANAPOLIS -- How's this for a Hollywood Script?
Helio Castroneves learned a lot about himself in almost two months on trial for federal income tax evasion. He learned the cost of not immersing himself in his personal business; he learned the price of fame (or was it the benefit?); and he learned about real fear.
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Helio Castroneves admits this past weekend was all a blur.
After a six-week tax trial, the racer tells PEOPLE, "It feels so good to be back"
The good news came in the form of a text message; not a phone call.
The Dancing with the Stars champ is cleared of six counts of tax evasion
MIAMI (SI.com) -- Indy race car champion Helio Castroneves was acquitted on six counts of tax evasion by a Federal jury. The jury is still hung on one count of conspiracy.
There is no question that Penske Racing's Helio Castroneves knows how to beat the competition. The 33-year-old Brazilian has twice won the Indianapolis 500, defeating Gil de Ferran in 2001 and Paul Tracy in 2002. Perhaps as impressive, if not more noteworthy, Castroneves teamed up with dancer Julianne Hough to win "Dancing with the Stars" in Season 5 (2007). Tens of millions of Americans watched them triumph over Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, singer Melanie Brown and actress Marie Osmond, among other celebrity contestants.
When Danica Patrick talks about Helio Castroneves, you can imagine her sitting on the floor of her Phoenix home amid hundreds of files, contracts and tax documents. It would be the middle of the night, Patrick with a flashlight in one hand, magnifying glass in the other, mumbling gibberish as she speed-reads the forms.
The Dancing with the Stars winner faces jail time if he's convicted
MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Helio Castroneves, a two-time Indy 500 winner and one of the most colorful drivers in IndyCar Series history, will be replaced on Tuesday when Team Penske announces its driver lineup for 2009.
Carl Edwards was crestfallen. It was right there in front of him. It was his. And then it was snatched away. He paused, composed himself. Reconciled it. "That was a really good sandwich," he said, stunned as the waitress stealthed away a half-eaten grilled chicken on whole wheat and snap pea salad. "I wasn't done eating, guys."
A day after entering his plea in a tax case, the DWTS champ wins a car race
The DWTS champ was ordered released on $10 million bail
TALLADEGA, Alabama -- NASCAR and IRL drivers are keeping a close eye on the Helio Castroneves/Alan Miller tax evasion case, some because Miller is also their agent and others because Team Penske could be in need of a new driver as early as late October.
The Dancing champ's attorney says he'll "be vindicated in court"
With tears in his eyes, famed race car driver and "Dancing with the Stars" champ Helio Castroneves pleaded not guilty Friday to a seven-count tax evasion indictment.
The racecar driver faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison if convicted
DETROIT -- One of the biggest complaints about Brian Barnhart is that the IndyCar President, Competition Division, is usually "all bark and no bite" when it comes to enforcing penalties, that he often warns drivers against the sins of blocking but rarely penalizes offending drivers.
Hélio Castroneves Sr. says he never intended to turn his son into a famous racecar driver, as he himself had dreamed of being. He just wanted to throw the boy an unforgettable first birthday party. So he bought a cake festooned with sparkling silver icing and crowned it with a palm-tree-lined toy racetrack he had borrowed from a local shop.
Last week SI writer Richard Deitsch interviewed Helio Castroneves for the magazine's Q&A. The two-time Indianapolis 500 champion from Brazil recently won ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Here are additional excerpts from their conversation:
What's next for Helio Castroneves? Hosting Saturday Night Live? Sitting in for Regis?
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