The tears flowed as soon as Helio Castroneves turned his red-and-white car into Victory Lane, and he really got emotional when Roger Penske leaned over to give his driver a hug.
“Thanks for giving my life back,” Castroneves said between sobs.
He could’ve lost it all. He could’ve gone to prison for six years. Instead, he was celebrating another win at the Indianapolis 500.
Castroneves capped a perfect month of May by winning at the Brickyard for the third time Sunday, a triumph that was especially poignant given what he was facing just 5½ weeks ago.
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From accused tax cheat to Indy champion — this race was a lot longer than 500 miles.
“Let’s celebrate now!” he screamed to the quarter of a million fans.
Castroneves became the ninth driver to win the historic race three times, and his timing couldn’t have been better. On April 17, he was acquitted of most charges at a federal tax evasion trial, and the remaining count was finally thrown out last Friday.
“This is the best month of May ever,” Castroneves said, and it was hard to argue otherwise. Berryessa Sun
At a place that can be utterly cruel when it comes to sentimental favorites, Helio Castroneves provided a fitting ending to his comeback with an emotional victory in the Indianapolis 500.
More than five weeks after being acquitted of tax evasion charges, Castroneves dominated the final 58 laps and drove away from Dan Wheldon and Danica Patrick to capture the checkered flag in front of a enthusiastic crowd at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
After taking the checkered flag, Castroneves, his sister, Katiucia, and the rest of the Team Penske crew climbed the safety fence near the start-finish line. The victory celebration has earned Castroneves the nickname “Spiderman” - but this one had a lot more meaning than the other 14 in his career in the IndyCar Series.
“I think my tears speak for everything,” an emotional Castroneves said. “What a great team. We were having all sorts of problems at the beginning, but basically it’s a long race, and we took it easy. Once I was in the front, I never looked back.”
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“We were having all sorts of radio problems since the beginning of the race,” Castroneves said. “And then, we had a little issue with the gearbox on the pit stops. Toward the end, we were just feeling the car — but once I got in front, it was never look back.”
But his race was not without adventure. When Tony Kanaan had his hard crash on lap 98, Castroneves was not far behind.
“I saw a piece of wing coming straight to me,” he said. “I told the guys to check the air box because I thought something hit. We did stop right on that yellow and we found out there was a piece of carbon (fiber) stuck into the right front or left front tire.” ESPN
“I had so much faith that Helio hadn’t done anything wrong,” said Penske, who has owned the cars driven by 15 Indianapolis 500 champions, a record. “We never, ever, were going to leave his side.”
But there were many reasons to celebrate. Had he been found guilty, Castroneves faced up to six years in prison. His sister Kati, who with his lawyer Alan Miller was also charged, said: “I cannot describe it. I love my brother so much. He deserves to be here.”
Even Penske, the taciturn 72-year-old racing mogul, was smiling. Castroneves, the gregarious Brazilian whose fame transcended IndyCar racing when he won the “Dancing with the Stars” competition in November 2007, made sure to mention it.
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“He only smiles twice — when it’s his birthday, and when he wins the Indianapolis 500,” Castroneves said.
Danica Patrick, 27, who four years ago became the first woman to lead the Indy 500, finished third Sunday, her best finish in five races at the Brickyard. Patrick did not lead a lap this time. She could not get around Wheldon to take a run at Castroneves.
“I’m happy to see him happy,” she said. “It’s great for the sport.” New York Times
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