Question: Helio, should we worry about NASCAR taking away my favorite racer from this beloved sport?
Helio Castroneves: No worries. What you heard was out of context. I’m doing everything I can to clinch the championship and run here in open wheel. Right now we’ve merged and the series is in a good spot and I would say the opportunity, I don’t think, is there to go to NASCAR. I would consider it in that you should always leave doors open.
Question: What do you like about Texas Motor Speedway most and why have you had success here in the past?
Helio Castroneves: This is a great place. It’s a fast track. I like this place. You never know who’s going to win. It’s always decided at the last minute at the finish line. It’s a place that everybody enjoys and why it’s so much fun. Any track where you go 220 mph, you have to get used to it. But you can be a competitor here even if your car isn’t very good because you can draft and still get to the front.
Question: How many hours did you spend each day rehearsing for Dancing With the Stars?
Helio Castroneves: The first three weeks was about five hours. Then we jumped to eight hours on week six or so. The last week it was 10 hours a day. It was brutal. It was very difficult. I learned the steps and how to deal with things and that’s why I did so well. It was hard because I wasn’t used to it. Julianne, my teacher, did a good job and she was patient.
Question: How talented is Danica Patrick as a driver? How big was it for the series that Patrick now has a victory?
Helio Castroneves: She’s a good driver. She has good knowledge and knows exactly what she’s doing. I respect her for that more than some of the guys out there who don’t know what they’re doing all the time. The popularity she has is good for everyone. She did win in Japan and that was good for everybody. It doesn’t matter how she does it (fuel mileage), it’s a win. It’s good for the series that she’s popular. She brings attention and everybody wants to watch. If they are seeing her, they’re seeing you and you can get more fans that way too.
Question: From a driver’s perspective, how is the unified series different from last season? Is it better? Does it affect you since you were already in IRL and not one of the Champ Car teams moving over?
Helio Castroneves: It’s a great thing to happen to open wheel. I do enjoy having them around. We have more cars and more teams and it’s a great show for everyone and for the fans. It’s great that open wheel has that scenario. It’s the same for the race even though there are more cars. The strategy might be different, but it doesn’t bother me. You never know who might win each week. Some guys who have been driving and running good do that every week and you’re looking out for them, but there are many teams that can win. We worry about what we need to do to improve.
Question: Where is your favorite place to race?
Helio Castroneves: I would say Indianapolis. It’s a very difficult and challenging track. It’s like a road course in the shape of an oval and you’re going 230 mph. You have to work on the car, find the line that you’re comfortable with and there’s not much banking. It’s like a road course, because setup and line are so important. The only difference is you don’t brake.
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