Monday, May 28, 2001
Brazil's Castroneves wins Indy 500
Rookie gets 11th victory for Penske
By Tom Groeschen
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Helio Castroneves celebrates by jumping onto the fence near the finish line.
(AP photo)
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INDIANAPOLIS — An excitable Brazilian named Helio Castroneves blew the stuffy doors off the Indianapolis 500 Sunday. He even swept a stoic American icon along for the ride.
Castroneves, 26, won his first Indy 500 and gave legendary car owner Roger Penske a record 11th Indy victory. In doing so, Castroneves both ignored and embraced several Indy traditions that date back 90 years.
First, he stunned traditionalists afterward by parking his car, hopping out, then sprinting across the track. He climbed the infield catch-fence near the finish line, pumped his fists and waved to the cheering crowd, then summoned his crew to climb the fence — which they did.
“I knew he would do something stupid,” said a grinning Gil de Ferran, who finished second to give Marlboro Team Penske a 1-2 finish.
“Nobody said it would be a fine or anything,” said Castroneves, also grinning. “I just wanted to express my feelings, and I think everyone liked it.”
Castroneves also hailed a passing convertible, leaped
aboard, then circled the track like a homecoming queen. He toted the traditional bottle of Indy victory milk, first spraying it and then dumping the rest on his head.
No one could remember such scenes at tradition-bound Indy. It's a place where Jim Nabors always sings and the military jets always do the flyovers and everyone knows his place, such as 11 rows of three cars each. And a place where the winner politely drinks his milk.
The race, which marked the return of Indy stars such as Penske and driver Michael Andretti, caught some buzz again after the five-year CART-IRL war.
Castroneves had pulled the fence-climbing stunt before, after winning a race at Long Beach, Calif., last month. But few saw that, as opposed to Sunday's usual Indy sellout of 300,000-plus people — and millions more on national TV.
Even Penske was moved.
“It's a thrilling day for me,” he said, not smiling.
But Penske smiled a few times in the post-race interview session, which in itself was one of the greatest spectacles in racing. There was Castroneves, the exuberant youngster, seated side by side with Penske, the stonefaced, silver-haired institution.
“When I was a kid, I dreamed of being here,” Castroneves said. “I dreamed of wearing the red and white (Penske) helmet. I saw Emerson win.”
That was Emerson Fittipaldi, a fellow Brazilian who won two Indys. Castroneves remembers the first, 1989, when he was 13 years old.
“As a kid, that is what I want to do,” Castroneves said.
Castroneves, despite landing a ride with the revered Penske and winning three CART races in 2000, didn't waltz into Indy with the CART chip on his shoulder.
“I tried to learn, to talk to people here,” he said. “I talked to (four-time Indy winners) Rick Mears and Al Unser Sr. I talked to (three-time winner Bobby Unser). I asked Rick, "How do I get through Turn One?' He says, "Stay out of the wall.'
“But I tried to make sure I listened to everyone. There are 500 miles, and everything is going to happen to you here. The wind changes, the weather changes.”
CART, as the older circuit, generally is considered superior to the five-year-old IRL. Two of its drivers, Juan Montoya (2000) and now Castroneves, have won the two Indys since the IRL-CART feud began its thaw.
And yes, those were CART cars finishing Nos.1 through 6 on Sunday.
“Just the way the numbers fell,” said Penske, echoing a theme sounded by CART drivers including Castroneves, de Ferran and Andretti (third place). “This isn't CART and the IRL. It's the Indy 500.”
IRL drivers led 92 laps, or nearly half the race. But IRL pole sitter Scott Sharp exited on the first lap — the first turn, actually — when cold temperatures (56 degrees) helped cause him to spin out. Then IRL drivers Sarah Fisher, Scott Goodyear, and Al Unser Jr. crashed within minutes of Sharp.
Castroneves and de Ferran, the 2000 CART season champion, basically drove around together for the final 50 laps, standing 1-2. Their only real challenge was during pit stops,when they battled to get out ahead of each other. Castroneves won those, too.
“It could have made the difference in the race,” de Ferran said. “But I am happy for Helio.”
It was a classic Penske win, back to the days when he dominated the race with drivers such as Mears, Fittipaldi, Danny Sullivan and the Unsers.
Where does this one rank? Considering his last Indy (1995) was an embarrassment, when both Unser Jr. and Fittipaldi failed to qualify, it was important to the 63-year-old Penske to regain some face. Even if it meant working overtime to build several cars, to IRL specs, for this race.
“Knowing the circumstances of getting here, this (win) has to be right at the top of the list,” Penske said.
For Castroneves, there could be more.
“I know this place is famous,” he said. “Winning this for Roger and his team, it's just a fantastic day. I hope the kids in Brazil are watching, and dreaming of this like I was.”
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