Helio Leads Kanaan, Barrichello At Brazilian Stock Car Finale

Helio Castroneves advanced from the 22nd starting position to finish 14th in the Stock Car Corrida do Milhao (Stock Car Million Race) – the season finale of the Brazilian stock car series — Dec. 9.

Castroneves, driving the No. 3 Peugeot for Shell Racing, was 18.669 seconds behind winner Thiago Camilo (who received the one million Brazilian Reais) over the 27 laps at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace at Interlagos in São Paulo, Brazil. Caca Bueno, who started on the pole and finished third in the race, won the 12-round series title for Red Bull Racing.

It was the driving debut of Castroneves in the category, in which the three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 was a team co-owner in 2004. In his last visit to the racetrack, Castroneves teamed with Nelson Piquet and Christophe Bouchut to win the "Thousand Miles" race in 2006 in an Aston Martin.

Rubens Barrichello, who started seventh in a Peugeot for Medley Full Time Racing, finished 22nd. Tony Kanaan, who started 26th in a Peugeot for Bassani Racing, retired after eight laps (teammate Raphael Matos finished ninth).

Both Castroneves and Kanaan will participate in the final IZOD IndyCar Series testing block of 2012 this week at Sebring International Raceway. Speed.com