Friday, April 16, 2010
Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.
Helio Castroneves is chatting away with crew members outside his race hauler when fans call out his name.
Never mind that they mispronounce it (it’s El-EE-oh) or that it’s only two hours before the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. The charismatic Brazilian driver instantly turns around and makes a beeline for the group, then amiably poses for pictures and signs autographs for several minutes.
Castroneves, who went on to win Sunday’s race, embraces the attention that many professional athletes avoid.
“I like to have a good positive energy, take pictures with the guys, have fun,” he said after his victory.
He’s having much more fun heading into Sunday’s race at Long Beach than he was this time last year. Saturday will be the one-year anniversary of his acquittal on federal tax-evasion charges. He was back behind the wheel of the No. 3 Team Penske car two days later for the Streets of Long Beach.
Since then, life has taken a few nice turns. He has won his third Indianapolis 500, become a father with girlfriend Adriana and regained the easy smile that faded during the trial.
And the daddy of 4-month-old Mikaella doesn’t sweat the small stuff anymore like slow service or words that rub him the wrong way, said Tim Cindric, president of Penske Racing.
“The biggest change that I notice is the small things that used to irritate him in life aren’t that important to him any more,” said Cindric, who has been working with Castroneves since he joined Team Penske a decade ago. “Between his trial and becoming a father, he’s realized the things that used to bother him in life aren’t that important anymore. He’s able to shrug off some of the distractions. Even the financial perspectives have changed a bit.
“He’s more gracious in some ways just because it’s not that big of a deal anymore. He appreciates what he has and the opportunity he has even more than he did before.”
Like fellow IndyCar racer Danica Patrick, Castroneves has successfully entered the pop-culture realm. He won TV’s “Dancing with the Stars” in 2007.
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