Hélio Castroneves facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hélio Castroneves |
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Castroneves in 2018
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| Nationality |  Brazilian |
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| Born | Hélio Alves de Castro Neves 10 May 1975 São Paulo, Brazil |
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| IndyCar Series career | |||||||
| 315 races run over 24 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 | 2024 XPEL Grand Prix (Road America) |
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| First win | 2001 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| Last win | 2021 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
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| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 79 races run over 4 years | |||||||
| Years active | 1998–2001 | ||||||
| Team(s) | Bettenhausen Racing Hogan Racing Team Penske |
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| 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) | ||||||
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| Previous series | |||||||
| 1993–1994 1995 1996–1997 |
Formula 3 Sudamericana British Formula Three Championship Indy Lights |
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| Championship titles | |||||||
| 2001, 2002, 2009, 2021 2001 2020 2021, 2022, 2023 |
Indianapolis 500 Winner Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (DPi) 24 Hours of Daytona Overall Winner |
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| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| Car no., team | No. 91 (Trackhouse Racing) | ||||||
Hélio Castroneves (born May 10, 1975) is a famous Brazilian auto racing driver. He is known for winning the Indianapolis 500 a record four times. He won in 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2021. This makes him one of only four drivers to achieve this amazing feat.
Hélio also finished second in the IndyCar Series championship four times. He was runner-up in 2002, 2008, 2013, and 2014. He has also won the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2020. Plus, he has won the 24 Hours of Daytona three times in a row, from 2021 to 2023.
Castroneves started racing go-karts when he was 10 years old. He then moved up to bigger cars in different racing series. He joined Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in 1998. He later moved to Team Penske in 2000, winning several races.
He started racing in the Indy Racing League (IRL) in 2001. He won the Indianapolis 500 in his very first try! He continued to race full-time in the IRL from 2002. He won the Indy 500 again the next year.
Hélio is one of the most popular drivers in IndyCar. He is nicknamed "Spider-Man" because he climbs the fence after winning a race. He has also appeared on TV shows like Dancing with the Stars, which he won in 2007.
Contents
About Hélio's Life
Hélio Castroneves was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on May 10, 1975. His father was an automobile dealer, and his mother was a teacher. He has an older sister, Katiucia, who helps manage his career. In 1977, his family moved to Ribeirão Preto for his father's business.
In 2000, he changed his last name from Castro Neves to Castroneves. This was to help the media say his name correctly. Hélio has a daughter with his long-time partner, Adriana Henao.
Hélio's Early Racing Days
Hélio loved racing from a young age. From 1981 to 1986, he would sneak into his father's stock car team races. At age seven, he got a small motorized car. He then asked his father for a go-kart.
On his 11th birthday, Hélio got his first go-kart. He started driving at a karting track in São Paulo. His mother wanted him to focus on school and other sports. But Hélio told her he only wanted to race. He was inspired by Ayrton Senna, a famous Formula One champion.
His father helped him enter the Karting State Championships in 1987. Hélio won his first trophy that year. His father even sold property to create a karting team for him. At 13, he focused more on karting. Hélio won the 1989 Brazilian National Go-Kart Championship when he was 14.
In 1990, Hélio went to Italy for the Karting World Cup. He wanted to learn about European go-karts. He finished 16th in that race. In 1991, he raced in the Karting World Cup in France, finishing 25th. He also won more races in Brazil.
Moving Up in Car Racing
At 16, in late 1991, Hélio started racing cars. He competed in Formula Chevrolet Brazil. His parents hired a trainer to help him get stronger. He finished second in the championship with one win.
In 1993, he moved to Formula 3 Sudamericana. He finished second again, with four victories.
He then raced in the Brazilian Formula Three Championship in 1994. He was second overall with three wins. For 1995, Hélio raced in the British Formula Three Championship. His father sold family assets to help pay for his racing. Hélio finished third in the championship with one win.
In 1995, Hélio got a chance to test for Indy Lights, a series that helps drivers get to CART. He signed with Tasman Motorsports. In the 1996 season, he won one race and had seven top-ten finishes. He struggled with English and had some accidents.
For the 1997 season, he stayed with Tasman Motorsport. He won three races and finished second in the championship. In June 1997, famous driver Emerson Fittipaldi became Hélio's manager.
Racing in CART
1998–1999 Seasons
In January 1998, Hélio joined Bettenhausen Racing in CART. He finished ninth at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. He then got a season-best second place at the Miller 200. He finished 17th in the championship.
In 1999, Bettenhausen Racing let Hélio go. He then joined Hogan Racing. He finished second at the Motorola 300. He also got his first CART pole position at Milwaukee. He finished 15th in the points standings.
2000–2001 Seasons
After 1999, Hogan Racing closed. Hélio then joined Team Penske for the 2000 season. Penske changed their cars and engines to improve performance. Hélio won his first CART race at the Grand Prix of Detroit. He won two more races that year, finishing seventh in the championship. He also won the first Greg Moore Legacy Award.
In 2001, Hélio continued with Penske. He won his fourth career race at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. He also won the Grand Prix of Detroit again. He won a third race at the Miller Lite 200. He finished fourth in the championship that year.
IndyCar Series Highlights
2001–2004 Seasons
Hélio started racing in the Indy Racing League (IRL) in 2001. He drove for Penske and won the Indianapolis 500 on his first try!
He switched to the IRL full-time in 2002. He won the Indy 500 for the second year in a row. He finished second in the championship that year. In 2003, he finished third in points. He won two races at Gateway and Nazareth.
For the 2004 season, Hélio had a new teammate, Sam Hornish Jr.. He won the final race of the season at Texas. He finished fourth in the championship.
2005–2008 Seasons
In 2005, Hélio won at Richmond. He finished sixth in the championship. For 2006, Penske changed to Honda engines. Hélio won the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and at Motegi. He also won the Bombardier LearJet 500. He finished third in points.
In 2007, Hélio won the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg again. He also got his third career Indy 500 pole position. He finished sixth in points.
The 2008 season saw Hélio start strong. He won the Peak Antifreeze Indy Grand Prix at Sonoma. This ended a long winless streak. He finished second in the championship, losing by a very small margin in the final race.
2009–2013 Seasons
Hélio signed a new contract with Penske for the 2009 season. His biggest moment was winning the Indianapolis 500 for the third time! He also won another race at Texas. He finished fourth in the championship.
In 2010, Hélio won the first-ever Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. He continued his record of winning a race for ten seasons in a row. He won two more races that year, finishing fourth in the standings.
The 2011 season was tough for Hélio. He had some crashes and didn't win any races. This was his first season without a win since 1999. He finished 11th overall.
He bounced back in 2012, winning the season-opening race at St. Petersburg. He also won the Edmonton Indy. He finished fourth in the championship.
In 2013, Hélio continued to do well. He won at Texas and led the points for a while. He finished second in the championship, just behind Scott Dixon.
2014–2017 Seasons
Hélio stayed with Penske for 2014. He finished second in the Indianapolis 500 in a very close race. He won the second Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix race. He finished second in the championship again, this time to his teammate Will Power.
In 2015, Hélio had two second-place finishes early in the season. During practice for the Indianapolis 500, his car flipped over, but he was okay. He finished fifth in the championship.
For 2016, Hélio had several podium finishes. He finished third at Long Beach and second at Indianapolis Grand Prix. He was fourth in the drivers' championship.
In 2017, Hélio won his first race in 54 starts at the Iowa Corn 300. He also got his 50th pole position at Road America. He finished second in the Indianapolis 500 again. He ended the season fourth in points.
2018–2024 Seasons
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After 2017, Hélio stopped racing full-time in IndyCar. He moved to Penske's sports car team. However, he still raced in the Indianapolis 500. In 2018, he crashed out of the Indy 500. In 2019, he finished 18th in the Indy 500. He finished 11th in the 2020 Indianapolis 500.
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In 2021, Hélio joined the Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) team for six races. He achieved his record-tying fourth win at the Indianapolis 500!
In July 2021, he signed to race full-time for MSR in 2022. He finished seventh in the Indianapolis 500. In 2023, he finished 18th in the championship.
Hélio will stop full-time IndyCar racing at the start of the 2024 season. He will become a partner in MSR's ownership and a driver coach. He will still race in the Indianapolis 500 for MSR.
Sports Car Career
Hélio also has a successful sports car career. He won the 2006 Mil Milhas Brasil endurance race. He has competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.
In 2016, Roger Penske asked Hélio if he wanted to race sports cars full-time. Hélio decided to stay with Penske. He joined Penske's IMSA program in 2017. He won his first IMSA victory at Mid-Ohio in 2018.
In 2019, he finished third in the DPi standings.
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In 2020, Hélio won four races. He won his first overall auto racing title with his teammate Ricky Taylor.
In 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship, he won the 2021 24 Hours of Daytona with Wayne Taylor Racing. He won the 2022 24 Hours of Daytona for the second year in a row. He also won the 2022 Petit Le Mans.
At the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona, Hélio won for the third year in a row! He also won the 2023 Petit Le Mans. Meyer Shank Racing left IMSA after 2023.
Other Racing Adventures
Hélio was invited to race in the International Race of Champions (IROC) several times. His best finish was fourth in 2002. He also raced in the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series in Australia. He finished outside the top ten in both races.
In 2012, Hélio raced in a Stock Car Brasil race in Brazil. He finished 14th. He also competed in the Race of Champions event. In 2018, he finished second with Juan Pablo Montoya.
He competed in the Superstar Racing Experience in 2021. He finished fifth in the points standings. Hélio is set to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the 2025 Daytona 500. He will race for Trackhouse Racing. He will also race in an ARCA Menards Series race to prepare.
Hélio on TV
Hélio was on the dance show Dancing with the Stars in 2007. He was paired with professional dancer Julianne Hough. They won the fifth season of the show! After winning, he appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show. He was also a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight from 2007 to 2010.
In 2010, he wrote his autobiography called Victory Road: The Ride of My Life. He wanted to share his feelings about his life and career. He was also a judge for Miss Universe 2011. In 2012, Hélio returned to Dancing with the Stars for its 15th season. He was eliminated in the third week. He also appeared on The Jeff Probst Show and Celebrity Wife Swap. In 2016, he was on American Ninja Warrior. He also teamed up with other IndyCar drivers on Celebrity Family Feud.
Images for kids
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Practicing for the 2007 Indianapolis 500.
See also
In Spanish: Hélio Castroneves para niños
