50-year-old Helio Castroneves Will Try To Win The Indy 500 For A Record Fifth Time

I'm not excessively proud to admit that I cried large bedewed tears erstwhile Hélio Castroneves won his 4th Indianapolis 500 successful 2021. The then-45-year-old driver was caller disconnected getting fired by Roger Penske, who had precocious purchased nan centrifugal speedway and nan bid that runs there. It was a agelong changeable for Castroneves to moreover beryllium successful nan running, but he overcame it each to beryllium 1 of conscionable 4 men successful history to triumph a 4th time. This May, he'll beryllium backmost astatine nan 500 for different changeable astatine nan win, again pinch Meyer Shank Racing, nan squad he co-owns. If he does negociate to propulsion it off, he'll beryllium nan only personification successful history to do it 5 times. 

Castroneves' 4th Indy 500 triumph came a afloat 20 years aft his first. He did nan unthinkable and went back-to-back successful his first and 2nd trips to nan Indianapolis Motor Speedway successful 2001 and 2002. If he does negociate to triumph successful 2026, it'll beryllium 25 years removed from his infinitesimal kissing nan bricks for nan first time. 

His 4 wins astatine Indy unsocial would signify an unthinkable unfastened instrumentality career, but this feline is still making large moves astatine 50, and wants to do it again. Hélio ran toward nan beforehand successful nan 2025 moving of nan Indianapolis 500, mounting nan fastest thigh of nan race, and proving he's still sewage what it takes successful his 25th clip astatine nan circuit. This twelvemonth will beryllium his 26th commencement astatine nan 500, which is still a agelong ways disconnected from nan all-time starts grounds held by A.J. Foyt and his 35 attempts astatine nan Borg Warner trophy. To lucifer that record, Hélio would request to support racing until he's 60, which seems unlikely, but if anyone could do it, it would beryllium him.

Mr. Castroneves made his people successful unfastened instrumentality racing erstwhile he joined nan CART title successful nan past 1990s and grabbed a fistful of podiums for Paul Bettenhausen and Carl Hogan. For 2000 he joined successful pinch Penske's then-Philip-Morris-sponsored squad and began his winning ways. While CART and Indy were still divided successful 2001, Penske decided to tally nan afloat CART season, but travel complete for a effort astatine nan 500 with Hélio arsenic a 500 rookie. It was nan first clip a Penske car had been fielded astatine nan way since they grounded to suffice successful 1995, truthful it was large news. 

The 2001 title marked a awesome comeback for Penske pinch Castroneves starring a 1-2 Penske decorativeness up of Gil de Ferran. "I deliberation we redeemed ourselves for nan lousy point we did successful 1995 ... this is nan champion time of my life coming backmost for illustration this," commented Roger Penske from nan pits conscionable moments aft his driver took nan checkered flag. In a rustle to nan Indy Racing League, nan apical six drivers to decorativeness nan Indy 500 that twelvemonth were visiting CART racers, popping successful for a azygous race. 

For 2002 nan Marlboro Team Penske decided to tally nan afloat IRL play pinch Castroneves astatine nan wheel. At this constituent successful clip location hadn't been a repetition victor of nan Indy 500 since Al Unser, Jr. managed a back-to-back successful 1970 and 1971 (it has since happened again pinch Penske driver Josef Newgarden successful 2023 and 2024). It is besides considered nan astir arguable title triumph successful Indy 500 history, arsenic connected nan 199th thigh of nan title Paul Tracy was attempting a walk on Castroneves for nan lead erstwhile a clang occurred astatine different constituent connected nan way drafting a yellowish flag. Race officials deemed that nan yellowish emblem came retired earlier Tracy had completed nan pass, and truthful Castroneves was nan winner. The triumph was disputed successful tribunal until it was upheld by verdict connected July 2nd of that year. 

In 2009 Castroneves was connected proceedings for taxation evasion, and if he'd been convicted and sent to jail, he wouldn't person gotten a 3rd Indy 500 win, fto unsocial a fourth. He won from rod pinch a coagulated two-second spread to Dan Wheldon and Danica Patrick. 

Good luck to nan Brazilian aiming for a fifth. I'll beryllium location successful May cheering for him.