Hélio Castroneves facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hélio Castroneves
Castroneves in 2018
Nationality	Brazilian
Born	Hélio Alves de Castro Neves (1975-05-10) 10 May 1975 (age 50) Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
IndyCar Series career
316 races run over 25 years
Team(s)	No. 06 (Meyer Shank Racing)
Best finish	2nd (2002, 2008, 2013, 2014)
First race	2001 Pennzoil Copper World Indy 200 (Phoenix)
Last race	2025 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
First win	2001 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last win	2021 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Wins Podiums Poles 25 84 48
Champ Car career
79 races run over 4 years
Years active	1998–2001
Team(s)	Bettenhausen Racing Hogan Racing Team Penske
Best finish	4th (2001)
First race	1998 Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami (Homestead)
Last race	2001 Marlboro 500 (Fontana)
First win	2000 Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit (Belle Isle)
Last win	2001 Miller Lite 200 (Mid-Ohio)
Wins Podiums Poles 6 10 7
Previous series
1993–1994 1995 1996–1997	Formula 3 Sudamericana British Formula Three Championship Indy Lights
Championship titles
IMSA SportsCar Championship DPi class (2020) Major victories Indianapolis 500 (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021) 24 Hours of Daytona (2021, 2022, 2023) Petit Le Mans (2022, 2023)
NASCAR Cup Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Car no., team	No. 91 (Trackhouse Racing)
First race	2025 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
Statistics current as of February 15, 2025.

Hélio Castroneves (born May 10, 1975) is a Brazilian auto racing driver famous for his success in the IndyCar Series. He is one of only four drivers in history to win the famous Indianapolis 500 race a record four times. He won the race in 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2021.

Known for his exciting victory celebration of climbing the trackside fence, he earned the nickname "Spider-Man." Besides IndyCar, Castroneves has also won championships in sports car racing. He is one of the most popular drivers in the sport.

Outside of racing, Castroneves is known for winning the fifth season of the American TV show Dancing with the Stars.

Early Life and Career

Hélio Castroneves was born in São Paulo, Brazil. His father owned an automobile dealership, and Hélio grew up around cars. He has an older sister, Katiucia, who is his business manager. When he was a boy, his family moved to the town of Ribeirão Preto.

Inspired by the famous Brazilian Formula One champion Ayrton Senna, Castroneves wanted to become a race car driver. He started racing go-karts when he was 10 years old. He won the Brazilian National Go-Kart Championship in 1989 at age 14.

Moving Up to Cars

Castroneves driving for Paul Stewart Racing in 1995.

At 16, Castroneves began racing cars in junior series like Formula Chevrolet Brazil and Formula 3 Sudamericana. He was very successful, often finishing as the runner-up in the championship. In 1995, he moved to Europe to compete in the British Formula Three Championship, where he finished third.

His family worked hard to support his racing career. They sold business assets and property to help pay for his racing in England. This led him to the United States, where he raced in the Indy Lights series, a step below the top-level CART series. He finished second in the 1997 Indy Lights championship.

Top-Level Racing Career

In 1998, Castroneves moved up to the CART series, which was the top open-wheel racing series in America at the time. He drove for smaller teams in his first two years. He showed his talent by winning his first pole position (starting first in a race) in 1999.

Joining Team Penske

Castroneves on his way to winning the 2002 Indianapolis 500.

In 2000, Castroneves got his big break when he joined the famous Team Penske, one of the best teams in racing. He quickly found success, winning three races in his first year with the team. He won three more races in 2001.

It was also in 2001 that Castroneves raced in the Indy Racing League (IRL) for the first time. He entered the 2001 Indianapolis 500 and won it in his very first attempt. This was a huge achievement for a rookie driver.

IndyCar Stardom and "Spider-Man"

From 2002, Castroneves and Team Penske moved to the IRL full-time. He won the 2002 Indianapolis 500, becoming the first driver to win the famous race back-to-back in over 30 years. He finished second in the championship that year.

After winning a race, Castroneves would celebrate by parking his car, running to the catch fence, and climbing it to celebrate with the fans. This earned him the fun nickname "Spider-Man." He became a fan favorite because of his skill and his exciting personality.

Over the next several years, Castroneves was always a top contender. He finished near the top of the championship standings many times. In 2009, he won the Indianapolis 500 for a third time.

A Difficult Time

In 2009, Castroneves faced a difficult personal challenge. He had a disagreement with the U.S. government over how his taxes were paid. He had to miss the first race of the season to attend court. The court found that he had not done anything wrong, and he was able to return to racing. Just a few weeks later, he won his third Indianapolis 500 in an emotional victory.

Later Career and Fourth Indy 500 Win

Castroneves driving in the 2021 Indianapolis 500, where he won for a record-tying fourth time.

Castroneves continued to race for Team Penske until 2017. He won many more races but was never quite able to win the IndyCar championship, finishing as the runner-up four times in his career.

After 2017, he stopped racing in IndyCar full-time and moved to sports car racing with Penske. He won the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2020.

Even though he wasn't a full-time IndyCar driver, he still competed in the Indianapolis 500. In 2021, driving for the smaller Meyer Shank Racing team, Castroneves won the Indianapolis 500 for the fourth time. This incredible victory tied him with legends A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, and Rick Mears for the most Indy 500 wins in history.

He returned to full-time IndyCar racing in 2022 with Meyer Shank Racing. In 2024, he became a part-owner of the team and continues to race in the Indianapolis 500.

Other Racing and Media Appearances

The Acura sports car that Castroneves raced in 2018.

Besides IndyCar, Castroneves has raced in many other types of cars. He has won the famous 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race three times in a row (2021, 2022, 2023). He has also competed in NASCAR and Australian V8 Supercars.

Castroneves is also a well-known television personality. In 2007, he competed on the TV show Dancing with the Stars with professional dancer Julianne Hough. The pair won the competition, making him even more famous outside of the racing world. He also wrote a book about his life called Victory Road: The Ride of My Life.

Indianapolis 500 Results

Practicing for the 2007 Indianapolis 500.

Images for kids

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  Castroneves racing in British F3 at Donington Park in 1995.

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  Castroneves driving to his third Indianapolis 500 victory in 2009.

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  Castroneves at Carb Day practice before the 2010 Indianapolis 500.

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  Castroneves qualifying at Sonoma Raceway in 2010.

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  Castroneves racing in the 2011 Indy Japan race.

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  Castroneves competing at the Detroit Grand Prix in 2012.

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  The Dallara DW12 car that Castroneves drove in the 2014 season.

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  Castroneves in his car during practice for the 2015 Indianapolis 500.

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  Castroneves racing at Texas Motor Speedway in 2017.

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  Castroneves during the 2022 race at Road America.

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  Castroneves' car for the International Race of Champions series.

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  Castroneves racing at Road America in 2020, on his way to winning the IMSA championship.

See also

In Spanish: Hélio Castroneves para niños