Castroneves determined to save his ride
Three-time Indy 500 winner could be the odd man out if Penske pares series roster
Veteran IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves hadn’t won a race in 53 starts over three years until last Sunday in Iowa and he’s flying into Toronto for this weekend’s 31st Honda Indy determined to chalk up his second of the season.
And he’s got the bit in his teeth for two reasons: he wants to win his first Verizon IndyCar Series championship after 20 years of trying and he wants to keep his job, which is under threat.
The 42-year-old native of Brazil, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has raced with Team Penske for most of his big-league career. Although he’s won the Indianapolis 500 three times, he hasn’t made it to the top of the mountain, finishing second in the points race four times.
And although there has been no official announcement, team owner Roger Penske is reportedly cutting back to three cars from four for the 2018 IndyCar season and Castroneves, the senior citizen in the fourdriver group, is rumoured to be on the way out.
To add fuel to the fire, Penske announced Tuesday it would field a Prototype entry in the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in partnership with Acura. No drivers were named, but Castroneves is aware of the scuttlebutt that would have him moved from the Indy team to sports cars.
If this all turns out to be true, he told the Star in an interview this week, he wants to make the decision to transfer him as hard as possible for Penske and Team Penske president Tim Cindric. “If I win the championship, it will be harder to move me,” he said.
“But whatever decision they make,” he said. “I trust in their judgment. I’ve been here for a long time and I enjoy being part of this organization. You have to face it, though, that there’s a lot of other opportunities that could happen.”
Castroneves currently sits second in the IndyCar points race behind leader Scott Dixon, who has 403 to the Penske driver’s 395. Castroneves, who once famously told NASCAR star Rusty Wallace during a midrace television interview that he was pronouncing his name incorrectly (It’s “EL-io,” Rusty; not “HEEL-io”), has won three poles in 11 races so far this year and has a win, a second, a third, six top fives and 10 top 10s.
So he’s enjoying a career year head- ing into the Toronto round, where he once won an Indy Lights race and has two seconds and a third in the last three Honda Indys.
“I like racing in Toronto because I’ve had some good results there,” he said. “I really like the city; it’s a great atmosphere and the Canadian fans are always a lot of fun. But I also remember one year (2009) when it wasn’t so much fun.
“Me and Paul Tracy had a coming together and whoa! Man, I tell you, that was one of the few times that I heard a lot of boos. And there were a lot! But, you know, I admire fans who support their drivers. It’s what they should do.”
Castroneves pointed to Dixon as being his main threat this Honda Indy.
“Scott Dixon is a guy who always does well in Toronto. They had a doubleheader there a few years ago (2013) and he won both races. So he’s always going to be a threat. And all my teammates are going to be really tough — Simon (Pagenaud), Will (Power, who won this race a year ago) and Josef (Newgarden, who won it two years ago when he drove for Sarah Fisher Racing).
“And (Oakville native James) Hinchcliffe always is a big threat there. It’s his home race and he wants to do well. He won Long Beach and he was strong in Detroit. He’s doing a good job on the street circuits this year. “He could be a big surprise.” The Honda Indy weekend gets under way Friday when no admission will be charged. A donation to MakeA-Wish Canada will get you into Exhibition Place, where the IndyCar drivers will be practicing. The headline race Saturday will feature the NASCAR Pinty’s Series stock cars and the 2017 Honda Indy Toronto will go to the post Sunday afternoon.