page_title: Hélio Castroneves
section_title: 2014–2017
hierarchical_section_title: Hélio Castroneves / IndyCar Series / 2014–2017
caption_attribution_description: English: Helio Castroneves' Dallara DW12 during rhe 2014 North American International Auto Show at Detroit, Michigan.
context_page_description: Hélio Alves de Castro Neves is a Brazilian race car driver for Team Penske in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He won the Indianapolis 500 three times: in 2001, 2002, and 2009, and was runner-up in the IndyCar Series drivers' championship in 2002, 2008, 2013, and 2014. Castroneves began competitive go-karting at age 10, before progressing to car racing, in the Formula Chevrolet Brazil, Formula 3 Sudamericana, the British Formula Three Championship, and Indy Lights. He entered Championship Auto Racing Teams in 1998 with Bettenhausen Racing and with Hogan Racing in 1999, achieving one second place each with both teams. Castroneves moved to Team Penske in place of Greg Moore for 2000 and 2001, winning three races in both years.
  He debuted in the Indy Racing League in 2001, winning the Indianapolis 500. Castroneves drove full time in the IRL from 2002, finishing runner-up to Sam Hornish Jr. and defeating Paul Tracy for a second Indianapolis 500 win. He finished third in 2003 and 2006 and was runner-up to Scott Dixon in 2008.
context_section_description: He remained with Penske for the 2014 season. Castrovenes finished third at the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the Grand Prix of Indianapolis three races later. He qualified fourth for the Indianapolis 500, and finished second, 0.0600 seconds behind Hunter-Reay in the second-closest finish in event history after a late race duel for the victory. He won the second Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix race after achieving the pole position for the first. After three straight sub-par results, Castroneves finished second in the Pocono IndyCar 500 at Pocono Raceway to tie his teammate Will Power for the points lead,  which took after finishing eighth in the Iowa Corn Indy 300. He relinquished the points lead after a throttle problem left him 19th in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Entering the final race, the MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships, Castroneves was 51 points behind Power. After winning the one point for the pole position, he had to win the race and for Power to finish seventh or lower to become the champion. Castroneves came in 14th and finished second overall with 609 points.
  For the 2015 season, his Penske car was fitted with Chevrolet's updated aerodynamic package. Castroneves achieved consecutive second places in the Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana and the Grand Prix of Long Beach and two pole positions. During practice for the Indianapolis 500, he lost control of his car in the first turn, and struck the barrier, flipping his car over 180 degrees and landing upside down. He started fifth and ran consistently within the top five before finishing seventh. The rest of the season saw Castroneves achieve consecutive third places in the Firestone 600 and the Honda Indy Toronto and a second place in the ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 along with two more pole positions for fourth overall with 453 points.
  Castroneves stayed with Penske for the 2016 season. At the Grand Prix of Long Beach, he led a race-high 47 laps from pole position but a strategy error left him third. Castroneves took another podium finish two races later, a second place at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. After qualifying ninth for the Indianapolis 500, he led 24 laps, finishing 11th after a lap-160 collision with Hildebrand dislodged Castroneves' left-rear bumper pod. Castroneves achieved two more podium finishes, a second in the Honda Indy Toronto, and a third in the IndyCar Grand Prix at the Glen. In the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono, the top of his vehicle was mounted by Alexander Rossi's airborne car after Rossi and Charlie Kimball collided in the pit lane. Castroneves was uninjured from the impact. With 504 points, Castroneves was fourth in the drivers' championship.
  He remained at Penske for the 2017 season. Castrovenes began with his third successive pole position at the Grand Prix of Long Beach; electrical problems left him ninth. He led the first 73 laps of the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix for fourth after winning pole. Castroneves began from a career-low 19th in the Indianapolis 500, moving through the field to finish second after a late race duel for the win with Takuma Sato. He earned his 50th pole position in the Kohler Grand Prix at Road America, and went on to lead 214 laps in his first victory in 54 races in the Iowa Corn 300. Castroneves finished no lower than eighth in the next five races, and entered the season's final race, the Grand Prix of Sonoma 22 points behind championship leader and teammate Josef Newgarden and 19 behind Dixon. A victory and Newgarden finishing third or lower and Dixon second or worse would give Castroneves the title. He finished in fifth place to be fourth overall with 598 points.
caption: The Dallara DW12 car Castroneves drove in the 2014 season
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