Helio Castroneves was quoted in Road & Track as saying, “I do respect the Indianapolis Motor Speedway … and I think the place respects me back.”
The Indianapolis 500 is special as the track that has a rich racing history. Go to this track and it is said that the place will move you. And this year is even more special as it is the 100thanniversary of the race.
And how powerful is the track even for a racing pro? Well, Helio Castroneves told Road & Track that after he obtained his first win at the Indianapolis 500 people stopped referring to him as “Helio Castroneves, race-car driver.” He became “Helio Castroneves, Indianapolis 500 winner.”
Does Castroneves approach the 500 differently than other races? He does because it allows teams and their drivers more time to prepare (about two and one-half weeks) and set up the race car. Thus, the race is super competitive with all drivers and teams giving their all to win and make racing history.
And what is it like to drive track? It is a big challenge for the pros. It reportedly has only four corners; however, each corner has different banking, approach speeds, and other challenges to test drivers’ skills. Castroneves believes that because he respects the track and its challenges and thus the track returns such respect, both get along well.
Castroneves has Rick Mears, a four-time Indy 500 winner as his spotter. Mears provides the racer with a good set of eyes and helpful experience. Best of all, Castroneves says that Mears is a great person who always interacts and communicates with great respect.
Castroneves will be racing the Shell V-Power car with Pennzoil and Shell advertising covering his race car.
The race driver says that most Brazilian kids dream about racing Formula 1. However, he is happy with the racing path that he has taken with IndyCar racing. Castroneves says that he is happy racing F1, Indy Cars, or even karts. Furthermore, he is glad that he is in America which is the land of opportunity and thus he has the opportunity to do what he loves!
Castroneves also points out that he landed a spot on Dancing With The Stars. He admits that he was more nervous before the dance finals that qualifying for Indy. At the end of it all, he was surprised by how well he danced.
Castroneves will be dancing with his Shell V-Power IndyCar and the Penske race team on May 29th. Tune in to see the historic race or better yet, be at the track and feel the power of this monumental race track!
Kyle Busch is the author of “Drive the Best for the Price…” He welcomes your comments or car questions at his auto web site: www.DriveTheBestBook.com. Follow Kyle on Facebook and Twitter.
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