INDYCARNATION

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Helio Castroneves, waiting in the No. 3 Team Penske car for the start of the morning practice session on the Long Beach temporary street circuit, thought he had suppressed the torrent of emotions of the previous six months.

He asked race strategist Tim Cindric if it was just a dream. “It’s not,” the Penske Racing president replied comfortingly over the radio. “Now don’t stall it because there’s a lot of people watching.”

Castroneves didn’t, much to his delight and machismo. He went on to qualify eighth for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and the next day finished seventh in his return to the IZOD IndyCar Series. That was less than 24 hours after a federal jury acquitted him of tax evasion charges, and a year ago already.

“Coming back proved that what I know to do is racing,” Castroneves said of that ’09 Long Beach race. “It was a great way to reassure myself. This year, it is a much different atmosphere. I’ll be doing the normal things I do and not having to think about it. I’m excited.

“Long Beach is a place that brings me great memories.”

He’s won three races since, including the inaugural event at Barber Motorports Park on April 11, and so much has changed in his life and outlook off the racetrack. He has a daughter, born in December to his longtime girlfriend. He’s moved from Coral Gables, Fla., to Fort Lauderdale.

“I just wanted to start fresh with my future wife and family and I’m extremely happy,” Castroneves said. “From now on the sky’s the limit.”

At least in the initial two practice sessions on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn Long Beach temporary street course, ninth on the time chart was the ceiling. Castroneves recorded a quick lap of 1 minute, 11.0267 seconds in the mid-afternoon practice.

The top 15 cars were separated by one second as drivers/teams prepared for the three rounds of qualifications (5:30 p.m. ET April 17), and four teams were represented in the top five.

Ryan Hunter-Reay, driving the No. 37 IZOD car for Andretti Autosport, was quickest in the combined sessions (1:10.6346). Castroneves’ teammate, Ryan Briscoe, was second (1:10.6980) and Tony Kanaan (1:10.7374) was third in the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven car.

"We knew what worked. In the second session, we just worked on the balance of the car," said Hunter-Reay, who's coming off a 12th place at Barber and will compete in the American Le Mans Series race here April 17. "We found what did work and what didn’t work. I think there’s still a little more time in the car, so we’re pretty happy with it.

"It’s going to get quicker tomorrow, and these guys are all going to go quicker. So we’ll have to keep changing, keep on top of the developing racetrack."

FAZZT Race Team driver Alex Tagliani (1:10.7996) was fourth quick and Will Power, who won the first two races of the season in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, was fifth (1:10.8641).

"It is really close out there, really competitive," Power said. "We will work on it tonight and we should be in great shape tomorrow for qualifying."

 

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