By Dave Lewandowski
indy500.com
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Unofficial Box Score | Video | Audio | Photos | Transcripts: Helio / Wheldon-Patrick-Bell-Tagliani | Quotes | Notes | IMS Tickets
Helio Castroneves shed tears of relief April 17 outside a Miami courthouse after being acquitted of federal tax evasion charges that threatened to - at the least -- curtail his racing career. On May 9 - a day before his 34th birthday - Castroneves was overcome by emotion again after winning the pole position for the Indianapolis 500.
On May 24, his tears were masked by milk poured over his head in Victory Circle.
"Incredible," shouted Castroneves, who put an exclamation point on a stellar Month of May - by him and the No. 3 Team Penske crew - by winning his third 500-Mile Race by 1.9819 seconds over 2005 champion Dan Wheldon. Danica Patrick finished a career-best third in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
Castroneves' month, which included the pole win and his crew winning the pit stop competition (the first sweep since Buddy Rice in 2004), was punctuated by the Hollywood ending. Somewhere, there's a gaggle of screen writers feverishly working on the script.
2010 INDY 500 Stone Cap.
2010 Indianapolis 500 Stone Slouch Cap With Buckle Strap.
"A friend sent me a message, saying, 'It would make a great Hollywood story. Win the race. Go get them,' " Castroneves said hours before the race. "I said, 'Get ready for an Oscar.' "
Neither Castroneves nor his co-defendants - his sister Katuicia and attorney Alan Miller - could envision such a scenario during their six-month ordeal. Since returning to the IndyCar Series for the April 19 race at Long Beach, Calif., he's described the proceedings as an airplane ride ("You are going to have turbulence along the way").
But the continual expressions of encouragement from fans, his strengthened faith and close-knit extended family "helped me through those times." A final conspiracy charge was resoved May 22 when prosecutors deided not to seek a re-trial after a hung jury on the count.
His expression of thanks to supporters worldwide - and a personal gift -- was to scamper up the catch fence along the frontstretch after a victory lap. It was exhilarating. It was tiring. It was cathartic.
"I think my tears speak for everything," said Castroneves minutes later after taking another victory lap - this time in a convertible with his sister, mother (Sandra) and father (Helio). "What a great team. I just have to thank, first of all, the Lord for giving me this opportunity, to be strong, to have a family that I have. I have to thank (team owner) Roger (Penske), (Penske Racing president) Tim (Cindric), my guys, everybody because they gave my life back. I'm here today because of those guys, and obviously the fans who kept me strong."
It was the 15th victory for Penske at Indianapolis (seventh from the pole), and Castroneves became the ninth driver to win three or more races on the 2.5-mile oval that is being feted for its century of automotive initiatives and motorsports entertainment.
"We talked with Helio about the win of his life a couple of weeks ago, and he comes back do show you," Penske said. "Outside he has that personality, he climbs the fence, but inside he's as tough of nails. He had to be to go through what he went through the last six months."
Castroneves led the final 59 laps after passing Scott Dixon, the 2008 race winner, on the frontstretch of a restart. He withstood two more caution periods and came out ahead on a final pit stop on Lap 163 - plus the steady climb of Wheldon and Patrick - to win at least one IndyCar Series race for nine consecutive seasons.
All the while in the closing laps, Cindric - Castroneves' race strategist - was exhorting him, "You can do it."
"We were having all sorts of problems with the radio since the beginning of the race," Castroneves said. "And then we had a little issue with the gearbox on the pit stops. I was getting neutral. Finally, toward the end, we were just feeling the car. I didn't touch anything on the car at all. Basically, it was a long race. We were just taking it easy. It was good, actually, because behind I knew what I needed to do. But once I got in the front, it was never look back. What a day. This place is magical. This is the best Month of May ever. Three; I can't believe it."
Wheldon, who started 18th in the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car, thrilled servicemen/women around the globe with his run to the front. It was the first time since 1993 that former winners finished 1-2 (Emerson Fittipaldi and Arie Luyendyk). It was the second year in a row that Panther Racing has fielded the runner-up car.
"I'm incredibly excited," said Wheldon, who returned this year to Panther Racing, with whom he started his IndyCar Series career in 2002. "Unfortunately, we didn't have quite enough for Helio and the whole Penske organization. They should be very proud. I have to say there's not many races that I've done in my career where I can honestly say that the team executed 100 percent. And I have to say they did today.
"We've had a difficult month, but the soldiers I've met here and even the stories I've heard from the soldiers overseas have that never-say-die attitude. And that was fully in force this month with the race team. I think we got the best out of everything, so they should be very proud."
Patrick, who started 10th in the No. 7 Boost Mobile/Motorola car for Andretti Green Racing, gained a spot off the final pit stop on Lap 163 and remained in the hunt for the duration.
"The car was good," said Patrick, who finished fourth as a rookie in 2005. "I was happy to put the Boost car up there in the front of the pack. At the end of the day, I could see the fans getting excited under that second to last yellow, so it was a good day."
Townsend Bell advanced 20 positions to finish fourth in the No. 8 Herbalife-KV Racing Technology car and Will Power, driving the No. 12 Team Verizon entry for Penske Racing, was fifth. Dixon, who led a field-high 73 laps but faded in the stretch because of an extended final pit stop, finished sixth and Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dario Franchitti (the 2007 winner) was seventh.
Vision Racing's Ed Carpenter produced a second consecutive top-10 finish, followed by Paul Tracy (ninth) in the No. 15 GEICO/KV Racing Technology car - his first competition at Indianapolis since the controversial 2002 finish that was declared a Castroneves victory -- and Hideki Mutoh in the No. 27 Formula Dream car for Andretti Green Racing. Alex Tagliani, who took over the steering wheel of the No. 36 car from Bruno Junqueira following Bump Day, advanced 22 positions to finish 11th.
"It's unbelievable," said Tagliani, the highest-finishing rookie. "The guys did an awesome job in the pits. The guys gave me a great car. To finish this month in front of all of these people is what it's all about. To the sponsors, (team owner) Eric (Bachelart) and the team it's a very big deal."
***
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