Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard talks to the racing star about dancing, driving and red meat.

His enthusiasm for life and his racing triumphs—not to mention a little grooving on the dance floor—have garnered Helio Castroneves the hearts of millions of fans worldwide. The Brazilian-born Coral Gables resident won his first two Indianapolis 500 races in 2001 and 2002, becoming the first driver in 30 years to gain the victory two years in a row. (He’s also the only driver ever to win in his first two attempts.) And last year, Castroneves took home the checkered flag for the third time just weeks after being cleared of tax-evasion charges. This media favorite’s charming openness and captivating smile dazzle audiences at the racetrack just as much as when he was shaking his booty to become the fall 2007 champion of televi- sion’s Dancing With the Stars. And now this energetic fireball is looking forward to a new chapter with a baby on the way.

STEPHANIE SAYFIE AAGAARD: It has been an eventful year for you, with ups, downs, curves and winds—kind of like an Indy race!
HELIO CASTRONEVES: So far my life has been like that,
and it’s not going to slow down either, especially now that I’m building a family. Oh, my God! The corners are going to be sharper and the speed is going to be faster.

It’s so fabulous to see how emotional you are when you win. But are you ever fearful when you get behind the wheel?
The good news is—and this is why I love what I do—when I am behind the wheel, I am in total control. If you ask me to go
on a roller coaster or other things where I don’t have control, that’s my fear. I am like, “Stop—I don’t want to go.” But when I am at the steering wheel, that’s when I am in my comfort zone, my territory. I
know what to do. I think well when I am in a racecar, because I have been doing this my entire life.

Is it hard to drive 55 on a regular highway?
If I’m not late, I have to follow the rules.

Are you more nervous before a race than you were during Dancing With the Stars?
I’m always a little nervous before a race, but with DWTSIwashorrified.Itwasoutsideofmyterritory. I asked Julianne Hough what Plan B was if I forgot the dance, and she said, “There is no Plan B, Helio. Know what to do!” I was freaking out. Maybe since I had only watched the show once or twice before, it was good, because not knowing what to expect made me feel less panic. I was like, Let’s see what’s next, and all of a sudden what’s next became winning the season. Now wherever I go, if it’s a nightclub or a grandma’s party, everyone wants to dance with me. I am like, “I learned a routine, I don’t know what to do anymore.” I am going to carry that for the rest of my life. But hey, if nothing goes right in racing from now on, I can go dance on a cruise ship.

What gave you more of a buzz, winning a race or winning the coveted mirrorball trophy?
I certainly did not expect dancing to become so huge, and wow, I have become more recognized from the dancing than the racing. It was hard, I worked hard and we won. When you have 25 million people watching you every Monday and Tuesday, it’s very difficult to beat that.

How did you know you wanted to be a racecar driver?
I started when I was 10 years old. When I was 11, my dad put me in a state championship in Brazil. I got my first trophy, for fourth place. I still have that trophy. Then it was like, I have to win more trophies. Up until this day, I drive for trophies. I want to win always. When I was 13 or 14, I said to my mom, “I want to be a racecar driver.” I decided to stop eating red meat and drinking sodas, I started training, and I always focused on racing. My
dad, my mom and my sister fully supported me.

You attribute a lot to your family. What makes that bond so close?
My mom—we called her the General—was strict, but in a good way. You need to put limits on your kids. I am going to learn now how to do it. But she always treated us equally. I was not favored because I was racing or my sister because of her dancing or her better scores in school. A family together can beat everything. Today that’s why I say a
big part of me is my family.

Charity is very important to you. Have you always wanted to give back?
I always want to start a foundation that helps the whole world, but unfortunately politics make it so difficult. When it’s the right time, we will do it. Some people just give money, but money is not everything. I used to go to The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and spend time with the kids. They taught me more than I taught them. They could not understand me very well because of my accent, and it’s funny because the kids asked, “Why do you talk like that?” It was really nice. People should experience that once in a while, because sometimes you get lost in materialism, and you have to
thank God for what you have.

What is your biggest thrill?
It’s gonna be my daughter, Mikaella. I am speaking ahead of time. But I am already nervous when I talk about it. It brings tears to my eyes. I can’t wait!

Steph Sez: What is your New Year’s resolution for 2010?
Helio Sez: My resolution? Oh, man, I will try to be a great dad!

source: detnews.com by Angelique Chengelis.

Detroit News reporter helps driving legend accomplish first career failure

Great partnerships are enduring despite ups and downs and the occasional personality conflicts.

They are built on trust and respect and knowing that success can only be achieved if the partnership is nurtured.

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, 34, has enjoyed great successes in his life and has done so with great partners. He couldn’t have won those Indy 500s without team owner Roger Penske, for whom he has driven since 2000, he certainly could not have won the “Dancing with the Stars” title in November 2007, without his professional dancer partner, Julianne Hough, and there’s no way he could have welcomed beautiful, weeks-old daughter, Mikaella, without girlfriend Adriana Henao.

And then there’s his tennis mixed doubles partner: Me.

Castroneves and I, both avid tennis fans, played a spirited singles match a few years ago that I’m pretty sure I easily won. (Editor’s note: Chengelis actually lost, 6-2, 6-1, but we can’t bear to remind her).

So, imagine my surprise not long ago when I received a call from Penske Racing’s Merrill Cain, who mentioned Castroneves would be in Detroit for the auto show this week and wondered if I was up for some tennis.

Me? Up for tennis? What could Castroneves be thinking? He needed to be schooled again on the same court with me? (Editor’s note: Please see first Editor’s note).

Ay, caramba!

Naturally, the answer was, ‘Yes,’ but this time I wanted to play as Castroneves’ teammate in a friendly mixed doubles match. After all, how better to understand a highly trained professional athlete than by teaming with him? You learn how the individual deals with the stresses and challenges of competition, his ability to strategize and how he works with others.

I must admit on Thursday morning to pre-match images of us overpowering our star-struck opponents, of hitting dropshots when needed, and un-hittable serves. Yes, I even admit to predicting we would “dance” away with the victory on Court 1 at the Beverly Hills Club.

Ah, so when did it begin to unravel?

Tough to say. It might have started during warm-ups when Castroneves, after hitting for a while with the club’s head pro, Richard Beijer, of the opposing team, walked back toward the baseline with me and muttered: “He’s really good.”

Me: “Um, Helio, I told you that.”

What I think I left out was just how good. Toy-with-you good. Show-no-mercy good.

Me: “Well, he’s won a men’s national doubles title, maybe a few of ‘em …”

Castroneves: No response.

See, there was a reason for non-full disclosure.

Beijer was teamed with my frequent doubles partner, Heidi Strauss. Like me, Strauss had a potential professional tennis career cut short by jobs and family. (Editor’s note: Oh forget it; you already know).

Among the first things I tell Castroneves about Strauss is that her bread-and-butter shot is her two-handed backhand, particularly crosscourt. It can be vicious. I tell him this. I know I told him!

Castroneves served to start the match. The first point was brilliant. A good, deep serve to Beijer, whose return I poached for a winner.

Seriously, for that brief moment, I’m pretty sure the C and C doubles team was convinced of its impending victory.

Hard to say what happened after that, but I do remember early on Castroneves lapsing into Spanish as he started berating himself while waiting to return serve, and I also remember an audible, “Ay, caramba!” after he missed a shot. I’m also pretty sure I remember watching Strauss rip a few backhands cross-court at Castroneves (I told him!). In lightning quick fashion, we lost, 6-1.

But the Castroneves-Chengelis partnership was as strong as ever! We would prevail, he assured me! Who am I to argue with a multiple Indy 500 winner and “Dancing with the Stars” champion?

Nope, the arguing and bickering would wait until the third set, the one that came after the 6-1 loss in the second set that took approximately 12 minutes.

The big rally

So this is when you find out about your partner. This is when you find out how you can dig deep together. Maybe we could “quickstep” our way to victory, to use a dancing term, and maybe we could overcome being two laps down to win.

Or, maybe not.

After being beaten by another Strauss backhand cross-court (I told him!), he started to call her “Gladiator”. Why? Because she swings with force and determination, and she likes to go for the kill. Gladiator. That one will stick.

Beijer had, throughout the match, looked every bit our version of Roger Federer. Smooth, efficient, deadly. There were a few points that involved Beijer and Castroneves almost exclusively and having taken many lessons from Beijer, I quickly recognized the I’m-toying-with-you look. So did Castroneves, who likened Beijer to a cat.

“He’s playing with the food,” Castroneves said, admiringly, knowing he had done similar things on a race track.

And then, the breakdown started within the C and C team. During a particularly spirited point that featured Beijer and Castroneves trading volleys, the ball came to me. I netted it.

“I do all that work, and you can’t finish the point?!” Castroneves says to me.

“Excuse me?” I reply. “Maybe I should remind you of a point from the first set and refresh your memory!”

We are splintering, but Castroneves, a true champion, wants to find a way to hold this together. His serve, and we decide to go all out. Not sure why it took us two sets to make adjustments, but, hey, at least we tried. The plan — as soon as he served, I was to make a cut across the net. Clearly, we intimidated them with this devastating plan and won!

After losing the next game — a forgotten blur — my serve. Castroneves gives me a quick neck rub to get me loose for serving. Too loose. Brutal serves! His fault!

So much promise and hope at the start of the third set. But virtually the same result, this time, a 6-2 loss.

But as good teammates do, even in defeat, there is appreciation and respect. A high-five and a hug. Time for lunch. While dining, Castroneves showed off baby pictures and posed for photos with admiring female “Dancing with the Stars” fans. Our 1-6, 1-6, 2-6 loss is but a distant memory, as is the Castroneves-Chengelis mixed doubles catastrophe.

And so it goes — some partnerships are not meant to be, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth trying.

source: detnews.com by Angelique Chengelis.

If the saying “To the victor go the spoils” is true, then Helio Castroneves was spoiled rotten for his victory in the 2009 Indianapolis 500.

Castroneves received the spoils of his third “500″ victory – the Herff Jones Champion of Champions Ring and the unveiling of his likeness on the famed Borg-Warner Trophy – in a ceremony Jan. 12 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

“Where is it?” Castroneves said as he tried to locate his newest likeness on the trophy. “Ohh, here we go. Wow! We can see that the years are passing by. My hair is kind of going backward. I can see that. Isn’t that amazing? Oh my goodness! This is just incredible.”

Surrounded by the cars that A.J. Foyt, Wilbur Shaw and Johnny Rutherford drove to their third “500″ victories, IMS Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Belskus presented Castroneves with his winner’s ring. Event host Bob Jenkins and a crowd of fans counted down the time until Castroneves removed the covering from the trophy to see his face sculpted in sterling silver. Belskus also surprised Castroneves by giving him a basket of baby clothes as a congratulatory gift on the recent birth of his first child, daughter Mikaella.

In addition to the champion’s ring and likeness on the Borg-Warner Trophy, Castroneves and Team Penske owner Roger Penske will receive scaled-down replicas of the Borg-Warner Trophy in a ceremony Jan. 13. The “Baby Borg” is traditionally presented by BorgWarner to the winning driver and car owner in Detroit during the North American International Auto Show. Castroneves’ likeness also will be featured on the event ticket for the 2010 “500.”

“I have to work four times harder now,” Castroneves said of his drive for a record-tying fourth “500″ win May 30. “I have the right team. I have great people surrounding me. I guess I know what I need to do. Certainly, it will be tough. It will be difficult, but I have no doubt in my mind that everything is possible, so I’m going to go for it.”

By Jana Strange – Indycar.com
source url: http://www.indycar.com/news/?story_id=15639

versão em portugues abaixo

Helio has been full of joy and smiles since the birth of his first daughter, Mikaella Castroneves, with girlfriend Adriana Henao.
He has been posting pictures (on Twitter) of the new baby since the birth on December 28th 2009. She was born with 7pounds 3ounces, and measuring 19 inches.

Mother and daughter are very healthy, and Helio is still figuring out how to do the diaper pitstop!
Some pictures at: http://twitpic.com/photos/h3lio

Versão em Portugues

Helinho tem estado aos sorrisos e cheio de felicidade desde o nascimento de sua primeira filha, Mikaella Castroneves, com sua namorada Adriana Henao.
Ele tem colocado fotos (em seu Twitter) da nova nenem desde seu nascimento no dia 28 de dezembro de 2009. Ela nasceu com 3,3kg e 48cm de comprimento.

Mãe e filha estão perfeitamente saudáveis, e Helio ainda está tentado fazer o pitstop da fralda!
Algumas fotos no link: http://twitpic.com/photos/h3lio