Penske Racing
Team Penske Media Site
The Castroneves File
Home | Biography | Up-Close | Career Highlights | Firsts/Wins/Poles | Series Total By Season | 2022 Stats | Race-By-Race Results | Victory Celebration

Career Highlights


2017
2017 saw his return to Victory Circle as he picked up his first Verizon IndyCar Series win since Detroit in 2014 at Iowa Speedway. Narrowly missed winning his fourth Indianapolis 500 by .201 seconds. He had one win on the season, three podium finishes and three Verizon P1 Awards. For the third year in a row he won the Verizon P1 Award on the streets of Long Beach, his second straight P1 Award at Phoenix and won his first career pole at the iconic Road America. Was in the Verizon IndyCar Series championship hunt until the final race at Sonoma Raceway, as Team Penske finished the year 1-2-4-5 with Castroneves coming in fourth. After the season it was announced he will join the Team Penske IMSA program with Acura ARX-05.

2016
Another successful season that ended with four podium finishes, two Verizon P1 Pole Awards and a third place finish in the championship. He started the season strong finishing fourth in the season opening race at St. Petersburg, Fla., before winning the Verizon P1 Award in INDYCAR's return to Phoenix. He also put the Auto Club of So. California/Hum by Verizon Chevrolet on the pole for the third race of the season in Long Beach that ended with his first podium of the season. His other podium finishes came at the Indianapolis G.P., the streets of Toronto and at historic Watkins Glen before ending the season third to teammates Simon Pagenaud and Will Power.

2015
Won four Verizon P1 Pole Awards, five podium finishes, and placed fifth in the championship standings. In the season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., Castroneves helped Team Penske to a 1-2-4-5 finish by bringing his Hitachi Chevrolet home fourth. He continued his quest to win his record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500-mile race. He gave that goal an admirable attempt this year, finishing seventh in the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." He followed that up three more podium finishes at Texas Motor Speedway, the streets of Toronto and The Milwaukee Mile to stay in contention for his first series title all the way down to the season finale at Sonoma Raceway.

2014
Enjoyed another consistent, successful season behind the wheel of the No. 3 Hitachi/Shell-Pennzoil/AAA /Automobile Club of Southern California/Verizon Chevrolet. Picked up his third career win in the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans at Belle Isle Park. Finished second in the Verizon IndyCar Series final standings for the fourth time on the strength of one win, six podium finishes and three Verizon P1 Pole Awards. Narrowlymissed out on winning a record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 by .006 seconds. Moved into a tie with Rick Mears for 11th place on the all-time series wins list with 29. His 41 career pole positions have him ranked fourth, one spot ahead of Mears.

2013
Produced perhaps his best season in his 14th year competing for Team Penske. Scored his fourth career victory at Texas Motor Speedway for his lone win of the season. Led all series drivers with 16 top-10 finishes in 19 races. Topped all drivers with an everage finishing position of 7.5. Led the IndyCar Series standings for all but five weeks of the season. Endured a tough doubleheader weekend at Houston where lost the series lead late in the season and wound up finishing as series runner-up to Scott Dixon.

2012
Enjoyed a rejuvenated season for Team Penske as he scored two wins and pole position to finish fourth in the IndyCar Series standings. Won the season-opening race in St. Petersburg for his third career victory at the popular street circuit. Captured the pole position at Barber Motorsports Park. Won at the Edmonton Airport circuit as he led all 75 laps for satisfying, dominant victory.

2011
Finished 11th in the IZOD IndyCar Series Championship. Earns three top-five finishes, including two second place finishes at Edmonton and Infineon, pushing his impressive career total to 100. His career 4,468 laps led lead all current drivers. Saw his record streak of winning a race and a pole in 11 consecutive seasons come to an end.

2010
Finished fourth in the IZOD IndyCar Series Championship, won the inaugural Grand Prix of Alabama, won at Kentucky and won in Japan after starting from the pole and leading the most laps. He also won his fourth Indianapolis 500 pole and his fifth Indy Pit Stop Competition. He continued his record streak of winning with the Team to 11 consecutive seasons and posted nine top-five and 15 top-10 finishes.

2009
Finishes fourth in the IndyCar Series Championship point standings driving the No. 3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda, despite missing the season-opening race. Wins his third Indianapolis 500-mile race. Also wins his third Indy 500 pole and captures the team Pit Stop Competition. Wins the race at Texas and continues his record streak of winning with the Team to 10 consecutive seasons.Post seven top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.

2008
Finishes second in the IndyCar Series points standings driving the No. 3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda. Wins in Sonoma and Chicago and extends his record of consecutive years with a win for the team (9). Scores three pole positions (Nashville, Mid-Ohio and Sonoma) and brings his career total to 33.

2007
Finishes sixth in the IndyCar Series Championship point standings driving the No 3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda. Wins from the pole at St. Petersburg and breaks team record for most consecutive seasons with a race victory (eight). Captures the Indianapolis 500 pole position for the second time in his career. Establishes new series season record with seven pole positions including efforts at St. Petersburg, Japan, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio and Detroit.

2006
Finishes third in the IndyCar Series Championship point standings driving the No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Honda. Wins at St. Petersburg, Japan, Texas and Michigan; continues record of winning at least one race a season since joining Marlboro Team Penske. Wins a series-high five pole positions at Watkins Glen, Richmond, Milwaukee, Michigan and Kentucky.

2005
Finishes sixth in the IndyCar Series Championship driving the No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Toyota. Wins at Richmond, days after sustaining a shoulder injury during a test there; continues record of winning at least one race a season since joining Marlboro Team Penske. Moves into second place on Penske Racing's all-time Indy car win list behind Rick Mears. Wins pole positions at Pikes Peak and Watkins Glen.

2004
Finishes fourth in the IndyCar Series Championship driving the No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Toyota. Wins season finale at Texas, tying Al Unser Jr. and Danny Sullivan for second in all-time race wins for Penske Racing. Wins five poles, including the final four events, tying the IRL IndyCar Series record for consecutive poles set by Billy Boat in 1998. One of two drivers to finish every race running. Receives the Scott Brayton Award at the Indianapolis 500 for displaying the character that best exemplifies the racing spirit of the late Scott Brayton.

2003
Finishes third in the IndyCar Series Championship driving the No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Toyota Captures pole for the Indianapolis 500, finishes second to teammate Gil de Ferran in Penske's second 1-2 finish at Indy in three years. Wins two races - St. Louis and Nazareth - and three poles.

2002
Finishes second in the IndyCar Series Championship in first full season. Drives the No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet. Wins the Indy 500, becoming the first driver to win it consecutively since Al Unser in 1970 and 1971 and just the fifth driver in history to do so. At 27, he is the youngest driver to win twice at Indy and the only driver to win in his first two attempts. Wins two races (Indy and Phoenix) and one pole (Phoenix).

2001
Finishes a career best fourth in the CART Series driving the No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske Honda/Reynard. Wins the Indianapolis 500 as well as the Rookie of the Year, becoming the eighth rookie to win in his debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Wins three races and three poles. Becomes the second driver in CART history to lead every lap in two races during the same season (Long Beach and Detroit); Michael Andretti did it 1992.

2000
Joins Marlboro Team Penske and finishes seventh in CART Series driving the No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske Honda/Reynard. Wins three races, including his first CART victory in Detroit, and three poles. First in laps led on road/temporary street circuits with 245.