Hélio Castroneves
Racing fans may be surprised to see Hélio Castroneves on this seasons “Dancing with the Stars – Season 5.” After all, he is better known for his racing than his dancing. But, he may surprise us with his fancy footwork yet!
Hélio was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1975. He was raised in Ribeirao Preto City. His birth name is actually Hélio Castro Neves, but he was misidentified as Hélio Neves by the media, so he changed his name to Hélio Castro-Neves then finally shortened it to Hélio Castroneves. Hélio remains very close to his family. His sister Kati is his manager and his parents always show up for his races.
Like many racers, Hélio started out with go-karts. He won the Brazilian Kart Racing National Title in 1989. He finished second in the South American F-3 Championship in 1993 and second in the Brazilian F-3 Championship in 1994. In 1996, he was the Indy Light champion for the first time in his career. He finished second in the Indy Lights Championship in 1997. In 2000, Hélio was named the Penske Team pilot. That year, he had his first victory in CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams), which is also known as the Champ Car World Series. He won the Greg Moore Legacy Award that year for exceptional talent and charisma.
Hélio is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 (in 2001 and 2002). He is only the fifth driver in history to win the Indy 500 two years in a row and the first to do it since Al Unser won in 1970-71. Helio just missed winning again in 2003, when he finished second behind teammate Gil de Ferran. Hélio is nicknamed “Spider-Man” because when he wins, he likes to climb the trackside debris fence. Another NASCAR driver, Tony Stewart, has also adopted this form of celebration.
Off the track, Hélio is an ambassador for the Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation, a charity that organizes projects of culture and education for infants in an effort to have a positive effect on their lives. He is a partner in NasrCastroneves Racing, which competes in the Brazilian Stock Car V8 championship.
Hélio lists tennis, beach activities, and running as his interests, so he should not have any trouble keeping up with dance partner Julianne Hough. Can she help him become a dancing champion as she did last year’s champ Apolo Anton Ohno?
Read these other great entries