Helio Castroneves Bio
In his 21st season racing for Team Penske, Helio Castroneves continues to be not only one of the most popular drivers competing in racing, but also one of the most accomplished racers in team history. For just the fourth time since joining Team Penske in 2000, Castroneves did not experience a winning season in 2019 as he and teammate Ricky Taylor did not find their way to victory lane during the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign. However, the Brazilian fan favorite certainly still showed the ability to summon speed from the No. 7 Acura ARX-05 DPi and both he and Taylor will be primed to return to their winning ways in 2020, when Castroneves enters his third decade with the team.Castroneves and the No. 7 Acura team enjoyed a solid 2019 IMSA season on the strength of five podium finishes and three pole positions. The duo of Castroneves and Taylor finished outside the top five only once and led a total of 146 laps en route to a third-place finish in the series standings while also helping Acura win the Manufacturer Championship in the DPi class.
A three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Castroneves again spent the month of May on the hallowed grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway rejoining Team Penske's IndyCar Series team in search of his record-tying fourth victory in the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." He will make another run at history in 2020 as he chases the immortality that comes with admittance to the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner's club, as he looks to join his mentor and Team Penske Hall of Fame driver, Rick Mears.
While Castroneves ranks as the elder statesman in the Team Penske stable of drivers, he still possesses the drive, speed and skill necessary to win at the highest levels of motorsports. Over the course of his legendary career, Castroneves has earned 32 victories, 57 pole positions, 100 podium finishes and 6,549 laps led in INDYCAR and Sports Car competition.
After establishing himself as a rising star in the IndyCar Series in the late 1990s, Castroneves joined Team Penske in 2000 and he has been winning races and creating new fans of the sport ever since. He became the first driver ever to win in his first two Indianapolis 500 starts when claimed victory in 2001 and 2002. He recorded an amazing 11 consecutive seasons with a win between 2000-2010, finishing top five in the championship standings in 14 of 17 seasons, including four times as series runner-up. He became well known for his signature celebration of climbing the fence at the track following his race victories to celebrate with fans, as he earned the nickname "Spider-Man."
Castroneves saw his popularity soar to new heights when he won the Mirror Ball trophy as the season five champion of ABC's Dancing with the Stars in 2007. He captured the hearts of fans with his accomplishments and dynamic personality away from the track and he continues to be one of racing's greatest ambassadors.
In 2018, Castroneves transitioned from IndyCar racing to Team Penske's new IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship program. Teaming up with Taylor, a young but experienced sports car champion, in the No. 7 Acura ARX-05 Prototype, Castroneves had a solid first full season racing in IMSA. He and Taylor drove to victory in the Acura Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2018 for Acura Team Penske's first-ever series win. It also marked the 17th season in Castroneves' illustrious career in which he won at least one race. Castroneves and Taylor finished the 2018 season with one win, two podium finishes and one pole position.
The veteran driver has been crucial in building a solid foundation for the future at Acura Team Penske as the organization returned to where it began - as a sports car team back in 1966.
As he continues to set the standard of excellence as the longest-tenured driver for North America's most successful racing organization, Castroneves looks to add to his legacy and compete for the IMSA title in 2020.
Castroneves resides in South Florida with his fiancée Adriana and their daughter Mikaella.
Castroneves Key Accomplishments