LONG BEACH, Calif. — A seventh-place finish is not usually something that Helio Castroneves celebrates.
But, Sunday at Long Beach, he could hardly have been happier just to be racing. Where the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and last year’s IndyCar Series runner-up finished was far less important.
“It was awesome,” said the Brazilian, who was able to return to the IndyCar Series after being acquitted of federal tax evasion charges on Friday in a Miami courtroom.
When he practiced in his No. 3 Team Penske car here Saturday, it was the first time in a race car for Castroneves since the 2008 season ended last October in Australia.
But Castroneves, who was welcomed back wholeheartedly by the big crowd, insisted he didn’t have any butterflies in his stomach before the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
“I slept like a baby last night,” he said. “I would say I was tired from practice. I think my mind finally (it) was sinking in that I was in Long Beach.
“I woke up really well rested and said, ‘Wow.’ I slept with a smile on my face.”
The biggest concern for Castroneves Sunday was his physical condition. He said he was stiff and sore after being in the car for a total of about 90 minutes on Saturday.
“I was fine today,” he said, grinning. “I feel great. It was a great feeling to be back in the race rhythm. And the crowd was great. They really made me feel good to be back.”
He even led three laps in the middle of the race before an ill-timed caution flag cost him a shot at a higher finish.
“It was interesting. The car, the tires, handling. … But that dang yellow (flag),” he said. “I’m still upset a little bit about it. It would have been a great finish. But seventh is still very good.”
Castroneves, who was indicted last October and had to go through a seven-week trial before the ordeal ended, said the experience has left what he called “a scar.” But he added, “It’s going to make me appreciate things I never appreciate in the past. I do believe I am a better person today. And I just want to continue racing.”
DANICA’S BETTER DAY: Danica Patrick, the glamour girl of IndyCar Racing, celebrated the one-year anniversary of her only series victory with a solid fourth-place finish — her best performance yet on a street or road course.
To make it even sweeter, Patrick bounced back from a crash during Saturday’s qualifying that relegated her to a 22nd-place start in the 23-car field.
“I’m a little surprised that I can’t seem to figure qualifying out,” said Patrick, whose only IndyCar victory came on an oval in Japan. “We can’t seem to pull the time out of the car when I need to. But, to be honest, my race pace from the beginning has never been that bad. I think I showed that in the race today.”
Pit strategy helped move Patrick up through the field and, at one point, she found herself trailing only eventual race winner Dario Franchitti. She kept the leader in sight until making her final pit stop, which left Patrick right where she finished in fourth.
“Probably my favorite part of the race was being able to hang there with Dario,” she said. “I’m sure he was saving fuel because we were doing the same thing. I think that was good enough. I just need to learn.”
HAIRY SITUATION: Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan are best friends who have often played pranks and practical jokes on each other.
When they were teammates at Andretti Green Racing, Kanaan managed to hit Franchitti in the face with cream pies on several occasions and the Scot paid his Brazilian buddy back by sawing his expensive racing bike in half in front of Kanaan while he was being interviewed on live TV.
Now, Kanaan, who likes to keep his head shaved, is apparently going to have to let his hair grow out because of a bet he made with Franchitti.
“Tony concocted this bet in his head last week,” the long-haired Franchitti said after winning Sunday’s race. “It was kind of confusing. But the story is … if I won first, Tony had to grow his hair long. Had Tony won first, I would have had to shave my head.
“Now Tony is saying if he wins next week in Kansas, he doesn’t have to grow his hair long, but I’d have to shave my head.”
Franchitti laughed at the prospect of seeing Kanaan with long hair.
“What I want to see is Tony with an afro,” he said. “Tony’s mom showed me pictures of him as a kid and he had this huge afro. So it’s going to be pretty cool.”
Kanaan finished third on Sunday.
SPARK PLUGS: Franchitti averaged 84.491 mph on the way to his first IndyCar victory on a road or street circuit. He did win 10 road or street races while driving in the now-defunct CART series, the last coming on the natural terrain track at Road America in 1998. … Ryan Hunter-Reay, whose second-place finish two weeks earlier in St. Petersburg, was the best ever for Vision Racing, wound up 11th Sunday, while Justin Wilson, who was third in the opener, crashed out and finished 22nd.
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