Helio Castroneves

Hélio Castroneves (born Hélio Alves de Castro Neves; 10 May 1975) is a Brazilian auto racing driver.

He competes part-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 06 Dallara-Honda for Meyer Shank Racing.

Castroneves was born in São Paulo, Brazil on May 10, 1975, to automobile dealer Hélio Castro Neves and former school teacher Sandra Alves de Castro Neves.

He has an elder sister, Katiucia, who is his business manager.

In 1977, the family moved to Ribeirão Preto, an agricultural town about 150 mi northwest of São Paulo, to allow his father to find business in the region's thriving ethanol processing industry.

He was educated in the São Paulo school system.

From early 1981 to 1986, Castroneves observed his father's minor stock car team race on weekends by being sneaked into a car's trunk in racing overalls and helmet, allowing him into a circuit.

At age seven, he was given a child-sized motorized car for frequent driving on the streets of his gated community and asked his father about a go-kart.

His father enrolled him in the Karting State Championships in São Paulo in early 1987.

Castroneves won his first trophy mid-year by bettering himself, as his father sold his Rio de Janeiro property to establish and finance a karting team around his son.

At age 13, he was taken off full-time schooling to learn more about karting from his father and team members.

Castroneves' mother disapproved because she believed he could opt to stop karting and was fearful of him not having a backup career.

Castroneves won the 1989 Brazilian National Go-Kart Championship at age 14.

Around this time, he and his family began watching Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) and Formula One racing on television.

From October 1989 to March 1990, Castroneves did weightlifting and played tennis to improve his physique.

In 1990, he forfeited the Brazilian National Go-Kart Championship and flew to Italy to enter the Karting World Cup to acquaint himself with the more powerful and grippier European go-karts.

A mix-up of his registration papers with the Confederação Brasileira de Automobilismo (English: Brazilian Autosport Confederation) and talks with the Commission Internationale de Karting in Switzerland prevented him from entering until a fellow karter sustained an arm injury.

He entered Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in 1998 with Bettenhausen Racing and with Hogan Racing in 1999, achieving one second place each with both teams.

Castroneves moved to Team Penske in place of Greg Moore for 2000 and 2001, winning three races in both years.

In 2000, he changed his surname from Castro Neves to Castroneves to stop the media misidentifying him as "Helio Neves" or "Helio Castro".

Castroneves has a daughter with his long-time partner Adriana Henao.

He is one of four drivers to have won the Indianapolis 500 four times: in 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2021, and was runner-up in the IndyCar Series drivers' championship in 2002, 2008, 2013, and 2014.

Castroneves also competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

He is a three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona, consecutively in 2021 with Wayne Taylor Racing and 2022 and 2023 with Meyer Shank, in addition to the overall 2020 IMSA championship with Team Penske.

Castroneves began competitive go-karting at age 10, before progressing to car racing, in the Formula Chevrolet Brazil, Formula 3 Sudamericana, the British Formula Three Championship, and Indy Lights.

He debuted in the Indy Racing League (IRL) in 2001, competing in two races for Penske and winning the Indianapolis 500.

Castroneves drove full time in the IRL from 2002, winning the Indy 500 for a second straight year and finishing runner-up to Sam Hornish Jr.. in the championship.

He finished third in 2003 and 2006 and was runner-up to Scott Dixon in 2008.

During the 2009 season, he won the Indianapolis 500 for the third time, and was fourth three times over the next four seasons, before coming second to Dixon in 2013, and his Penske teammate Will Power in 2014.

On his 11th birthday, Castroneves received his first go-kart from race car driver Alfredo Guaraná Menezes, and began driving at a karting track in São Paulo.

His mother disliked racing, urging him to focus on schooling and enrolling him in less dangerous sports, such as association football, judo, swimming, tennis, and volleyball.

Castroneves played those sports infrequently before telling his mother he wanted to focus on racing.

He was inspired by Ayrton Senna, a three-time Formula One world champion.

Castroneves finished the race 16th.

Castroneves achieved one further series win in 2017 before leaving full-time IndyCar racing to make his IMSA SportsCar Championship debut with Penske at the 2017 Petit Le Mans, paired with Ricky Taylor.

He won one race and finished seventh in the 2018 Prototype standings and improved to third with five podiums in 2019.

In 2020, he would win three races in a row and his first auto racing title.

One of the most popular drivers in IndyCar, his celebration of climbing the fencing beside the track after a victory, would earn him the nickname "Spider-Man".

Castroneves has represented IndyCar in the International Race of Champions series, the Race of Champions event, and the Superstar Racing Experience.

Among other media appearances, Castroneves won the fifth season of Dancing with the Stars with professional dancer Julianne Hough.