Helio Castroneves Inducted into Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame

The honor, which has been given to about 150 people in Speedway history, is traditionally given at the end of a person's athletic career. In baseball, players must have been retired for five years before being eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame. Castroneves will therefore be a special case, since the Brazilian driver, who will celebrate his 50th birthday next May, has planned to take part in the Indianapolis 500 this year, and his sporting career is therefore not over yet. The induction ceremony will take place on May 22, in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum, closed since November 2023, for major renovations. It is scheduled to reopen at the beginning of April.

Castroneves, who won the Indy 500 in 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2021, is among the select group of four-time winners of the event, with only AJ Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears having achieved the feat before him. He will once again attempt to become the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 five times this year, in what is expected to be his 25th start in the May classic, if he can qualify in his car from Meyer Shank Racing.

Since last year, Castroneves has become a minority shareholder in the team, with which he won his fourth victory, as well as the 2022 and 2023 editions of the 24 Hours of Daytona. The Brazilian will return to the Florida circuit at the end of the week, as he will participate for the first time in the Daytona 500, the opening round of the NASCAR Cup Series, with Trackhouse Racing, which will line up its No. 91 car, reserved for international drivers and those from other backgrounds, such as Kimi Räikkönen in the past.

ALSO READ > Things are moving in the IndyCar authorities, a new president appointed