INDIANAPOLIS – Helio Castroneves couldn’t help but feel a bit of redemption after Sunday’s Fast Nine qualifying round for the 105th Indianapolis 500.
This is the first Indianapolis 500 in Castroneves’ career where he is driving for a team other than Team Penske. He gave team owner Roger Penske three of his 18 Indianapolis 500 wins in 2001, ’02 and ’09 and remains the only driver in Indianapolis 500 history to win in his first two attempts.
His final race for Team Penske, however, came in last year’s 104th Indianapolis 500 on Aug. 23, a race held without spectators. He started 28th and finished 11th.
Castroneves has moved to Meyer-Shank Racing for two races in 2021, including the 105th Indianapolis 500 and the Music City Grand Prix in Nashville in August.
The popular driver is making the most of his opportunity as he made the Fast Nine in the No. 06 Honda, while Team Penske failed to make the nine-driver lineup that would determine the pole and the first three rows for Sunday’s race.
In fact, the highest starting Team Penske driver is rookie Scott McLaughlin, who will line up 17th, the middle of row six. Two-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Josef Newgarden starts on the outside of row seven, Simon Pagenaud is in the middle of row nine and 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner Will Power had to advance into the Indianapolis 500 starting lineup through the Last Chance Shootout on Sunday. Power will start in the middle of the last row.
While Team Penske was shut out of the Fast Nine, Castroneves showed that even with a different team, he still has the right touch at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“It feels absolutely great,” Castroneves told SPEED SPORT. “It was a great team effort with Jim Meyer and Mike Shank putting this together. The team has a lot of heart and a lot of passion and that overcomes a lot of things that other people don’t realize. We are hoping to do more races and improve and hope to be on top of the game again.
“We keep checking those boxes and every box is important to win this race. That’s what we are doing right now.
“Our goal was making the Fast Nine and we achieved our goal.”
Isn’t it ironic that the team Castroneves is on in 2021 is having a better month of May than Team Penske?
“This is the Indianapolis 500,” Castroneves said. “I was there before with them (Team Penske) last year when we struggled, and I’ve been on the other side of success with them (four Indy 500 poles and three wins).
“This place is very difficult. That’s why it’s so magical.”