IndyCar: Castroneves Talks about His Future with MSR

Helio Castroneves, the newest four time Indy 500 winner, was happy to be back in Indianapolis and at IMS for the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix.  The Indianapolis Motor Speedway presented Castroneves with a bronze brick commemorating his fourth 500 win on Thursday night in an event cut short by inclement weather.  On the stage for the presentation was Roger Penske, the team owner who Castroneves had the first three victories with and Bud Tucker, the bronze artist who created the brick.

The  recent announcement that the 46 year old Brazilian will be driving full time next season for Meyer Shank Racing was not a total surprise since Castroneves was not ready to end his IndyCar career at the end of the  2017 season when he was assigned  driving duties in the IMSA Series for Team Penske.

AR1 spoke with the enthusiastic driver about his future.

“I am thrilled about my fulltime ride for next year with MSR.  We have a lot of work to do ahead.  But we are really excited to keep me and the team going.  We are going to have a second car which also helps in the continuing process we are looking for.  The sky is the limit.  The future is bright for Meyer Shank Racing and I am just happy to be along with them.”

“It is great for a second chance for me in IndyCar.  A championship is obviously the goal.  It is something that I did not have and I would like to have the opportunity to earn it.  We have to see.  We know there is a lot in the making.”

“That’s why with four races to go,  it is important for us to have a good preparation for 2022.  To win a championship, we need consistency and we need to win too.  To me, to win in this series today, you have to be competitive.  You just got to have the right tools.  The right people, which is the most important.”

“I hope I have some input into picking my new teammate.  I certainly want someone I can work with to elevate the team.  Whether it be a young guy or an experienced guy who has been around the block.  As long as we can connect.  We do not want a situation of two different teams, the way it is right now.  So we have to change a little bit of  the process.”