Career Highlights

Updated: October 3rd 2011

2011 Finished eleventh in the IZOD IndyCar Series Championship. Captured 3 Top-Five, and 7 Top-Tens. Including two second place finishes, in Edmonton and Sonoma. He also completed the 200th start with Team Penske this year.

2010 Captured his 4th Pole Position at the Indy 500. Won in Alabama, Kentucky and Japan (started from the pole). Finished 4th in the championship point stands.

2009 Captured his 3rd Pole position at the Indy 500, also Winning the race for the third time, becoming the only Brazilian, and sixth driver in history to win 3 times the most famous spectacle in racing. Finishes fourth in the Indycar Series Championship point standings driving the #3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda. Win also in Texas, and another pole position in IOWA. Finished Top-Three 4 times, and Top-Five 7 times.

2008 Finishes second in the Indycar Series Championship point standings driving the #3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda, with 629 points, only 17 behind the leader Scott Dixon. Wins at Sonoma, and Chicago (with an impressive win starting from last spot, 28th place). Won 3 pole positions, Eight 2nd place finishes, finishing Top-Three 11 times, and Top-Five 15 times.

2007 Finishes sixth in the IndyCar Series Championship point standings driving the #3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda. A win at St. Petersburg breaks Rick Mears' Penske Racing record of consecutive years with a win for the Team (8). Wins a Series-record seven pole positions at St. Petersburg, Japan, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio and Detroit.

2006 Finishes third in the IndyCar Series Championship point standings driving the #3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Honda. Wins at St. Petersburg, Japan, Texas and Michigan; continues record of winning at least one race a season since joining Marlboro Team Penske. Wins a series-high five pole positions at Watkins Glen, Richmond, Milwaukee, Michigan and Kentucky.

2005 Finishes sixth in IndyCar Series Championship driving the #3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Toyota. Wins at Richmond, days after sustaining a shoulder injury during a test there; continues record of winning at least one race a season since joining Marlboro Team Penske. Moves into second place on Penske Racing's all-time Indy car win list behind Rick Mears. Wins pole positions at Pikes Peak and Watkins Glen.

2004 Finishes fourth in IndyCar Series Championship driving the #3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Toyota. Wins season finale at Texas, tying Al Unser Jr. and Danny Sullivan for second in all-time race wins for Penske Racing. Wins five poles, including the final four events, tying the IndyCar Series record for consecutive poles set by Billy Boat in 1998. One of two drivers to finish every race running. Receives the Scott Brayton Award at the Indianapolis 500 for displaying the character that best exemplifies the racing spirit of the late Scott Brayton.

2003 Finishes third in IndyCar Series Championship driving the #3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Toyota. Captures pole for the Indianapolis 500, finishes second to teammate Gil de Ferran in Penske's second 1-2 finish at Indy in three years. Wins two races, St. Louis and Nazareth and three poles.

2002 Finishes second in IndyCar Series Championship in first full season. Drives the #3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet. Wins the Indy 500, becoming the first driver to win it consecutively since Al Unser in 1970 and 1971 and just the fifth driver in history to do so. At 27, he is the youngest driver to win twice at Indy and the only driver to win in his first two attempts. Wins two races (Indy and Phoenix) and one pole (Phoenix).

2001 Finishes a career best 4th in the CART Championship driving the #3 Marlboro Team Penske Reynard/Honda. Wins the Indianapolis 500 as well as the Rookie of the Year, becomes the eighth rookie to win in his debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Wins three races and three poles. Becomes the second driver in CART history to lead every lap in two races during the same season (Long Beach and Detroit); Michael Andretti did it 1992. Made his first fence climb at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2001.

2000 Joins Marlboro Team Penske and finishes seventh in CART Championship driving the #3 Marlboro Team Penske Reynard/Honda. Wins three races, including his first CART victory in Detroit and three poles. First in laps led on road/temporary street circuits with 245.

1999 Finishes 15th in CART Championship driving the #9 Hogan Motor Leasing Mercedes Lola for Hogan Racing. Wins first CART pole position in Milwaukee.

1998 Finishes 17th in CART Championship driving the #16 Alumax Aluminum Mercedes Reynard for Bettenhausen Racing. Finishes second in Milwaukee, the highest finish of the season for a rookie.

1997 Finishes second in Indy Lights Series for Tasman Motorsports, four points behind teammate Tony Kanaan in the closest Championship battle in Series history.Wins races at Long Beach, Savannah and Toronto.

1996 Finishes seventh in his rookie season in the Indy Lights Series for Tasman Motorsports. Wins at Trois Rivieres.

1995 Finishes third in the British Formula 3 Championship for Paul Stewart Racing. Wins at Donington Park and finishes second in five races.

1993-1994 Finishes second in the South American Formula Championship for Amir Nasr Racing Team two years in row.

1987-1992 Competes in Brazilian karting, winning the National Championship in 1989.


MORE INFO:
- 2012 Championship
- 2012 Schedule