INDIANAPOLIS 500: CASTRONEVES INDUCTED INTO INDY HALL OF FAME

Four time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves has been voted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Classo of 2025.

Castroneves, the sole inductee this year, will be formally celebrated at the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner on Thursday, May 22 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom.

Brazil native Castroneves was overwhelmingly chosen by a national panel of more than 150 journalists, participants and historians. This was Castroneves’s first appearance on the ballot.

“I am so incredibly thankful to be inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame,” Castroneves said. “I was so surprised when I got the call and was immediately overjoyed with appreciation and awe. I have some of my best memories at IMS, it’s truly an honour to be selected to be a part of the Hall of Fame.”

A member of the illustrious four-time Indianapolis 500 winners club with victories in 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2021, Castroneves aims for a record fifth victory in 2025.

Castroneves began his open-wheel racing career in 1996, first competing in INDY NXT by Firestone. He moved to the INDYCAR SERIES in 1999 and took his first series victory with Team Penske at the 2000 Detroit Grand Prix. It was after that win that Castroneves debuted his now-famous fence climb, which has earned him the nickname of “Spiderman.”

In 2001, Castroneves etched his name in history after winning the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie with Team Penske, where he led the final 52 laps. After taking his celebratory sip of milk, he poured the milk over his head in Victory Circle and inadvertently started a new way to honor the tradition of “Winners Drink Milk.”

He then won his second-ever “500” the next year, one of six drivers who have won back-to-back. He came close to victory again in 2003, finishing just .299 of a second behind teammate Gil de Ferran.

In 2009, Castroneves won for the third time in nine years in what was possibly his most meaningful victory. He won the pole position, the pit-stop competition and then the race after pulling away from Dan Wheldon and Danica Patrick on a restart with 17 laps remaining. He almost took the victory again in 2014, finishing second to Ryan Hunter-Reay by just .060 of a second. But his record-tying fourth win finally arrived in 2021 with a new team – Meyer Shank Racing.

Castroneves finished his full-time INDYCAR SERIES career with an impressive 31 race wins, 50 poles (including four at the Indianapolis 500), and 142 top-five finishes. He now serves in an ownership role with Meyer Shank Racing.

“Helio’s legacy at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway speaks for itself,” IMS Museum President Joe Hale said. “It’s only right that he’s now being inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame as a first-ballot choice. His tenacity, confidence and love for the ‘500’ helped lead to a unanimous decision beyond his on-track accomplishments.”

Tickets for the event are available for purchase at imsmuseum.org. Pricing is $2,000 for a table of eight and $250 for individual tickets. All proceeds benefit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation separate from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that celebrates and preserves the history behind the Indianapolis 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

NEW INDY DATE FOR BC39

One of the most prestigious events in dirt racing is set to return this summer as the BC39 presented by Avanti Windows & Doors heads back to The Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for its seventh running on a new date, July 1-2.

The United States Auto Club (USAC) NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship will once again take centre stage as drivers race for victory on the quarter-mile dirt oval inside Turn three of IMS. This is the first time the BC39 has taken place in early July, as four of the previous events occurred in September and the other two in August.

Action among the top Midget racers in the country will open Tuesday, July 1, with the 39-lap feature race set for Wednesday night, July 2. The event honours the memory of Bryan Clauson, a three-time Indianapolis 500 starter and four-time USAC national driving champion.

Ticket renewals and applications will be open from February 11-21, with tickets going on sale to the general public Wednesday, Feb. 26. Visit IMS.com for complete details and to renew, apply for or buy tickets.

Cannon McIntosh took the lead with slightly more than one lap remaining to win the BC39 last September in an unforgettable finish. He joins a list of BC39 winners that includes NASCAR Cup Series Champion and Brickyard 400 presented by PPG winner Kyle Larson and short-track stars Justin Grant, Buddy Kofoid, Zeb Wise and Brady Bacon. No driver has ever won this coveted race more than once.

SPRINTCARS ARE COMING TO IMS

This year’s Indiana Sprint Week will open at The Dirt Track at IMS!

United States Auto Club (USAC) Sprintcars will race Thursday, July 24 leading into Brickyard July 24 weekend.