It’s Great To Be Castroneves

There are times I see Helio Castroneves and think of something similar to the words Dan Wheldon used earlier this summer while joking with a fan. “You can’t see through that act?” I mean, no one can be that happy all the time, right? It’s gotta be an act, right?

You know, maybe he is in fact just a really happy dude having a really good time. Consider his offseason, which hasn’t exactly been spent lying on the couch eating Cheetos. After finishing a mere two points short of first IndyCar series title, Spiderman experienced a similar ending as the owner of a Brazilian stock car team. (Gentlemen, start your NASCAR rumors!) Nasr Castroneves driver Hoover Orsi entered the final race in Sao Paulo in second place in the series standings before an early race incident forced a premature exit from the track. Like his owner in IndyCar, Orsi ended the season in third place.

I don’t know what is more interesting: the image of an energetic Castroneves barking directions to his team, or noting he has a driver named Hoover. Anyone else think having a name synonymous with vacuum cleaners would mean that poor guy lives through more than his share of “You suck!” jokes? I don’t know – maybe it doesn’t translate so well in Portuguese.

Still, third place is a sign of a solid season in any league, so congratulations to Spiderman on his solid year of ownership.

In other news, Mr. Castroneves will soon be sporting a Mrs. Castroneves after becoming engaged to his longtime girlfriend around Thanksgiving. They are scheduled to be married around the same time next year. Sadly there is no tear-jerking video of the event like there was for the melted Iceman a few weeks ago. In the meantime we shall wait to see if Helio and his groomsmen will climb a nearby fence at the conclusion of his wedding.

And now that all these frivolous diversions are wrapped up (come on, it’s sarcasm), Helio has gotten down to business by recently testing his Team Penske entry at Homestead. Castroneves was preparing for the season opener along with Tomas Scheckter (the not quite yet maybe still Vision Racing driver), Jonathan Klein (the still in Indy Pro for now driver), and *gasp* Danica! and her batmobile!

I can now end my hunger strike. No more Danica! driving jokes until the end of next year. Promise.