Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour presented by NASCAR on FOX - Hélio Castroneves Interview

Episode Date: February 6, 2025

Kevin Harvick sits down with four-time Indy 500 champion Hélio Castroneves as he gears up for his first-ever Daytona 500. The two racing legends dive into Hélio’s transition from open-wheel to stock cars, the challenges of adapting to NASCAR machinery, and how he’s preparing to take on one of the biggest events in motorsports. Hélio also reflects on the secrets to his long and successful career, the mindset that has kept him competitive across different racing disciplines, and what excites him most about this new chapter. Buckle up for an engaging conversation between two icons of the sport! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In your opinion, who is the best driver in the sport currently? I think it's me. Welcome to Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour, presented by Echo Park Automotive and NASCAR on Fox. And today we have a very unique guest, at least in the NASCAR world, very much known in the racing world, Elio Castornevis. And I really am intrigued by how he's going to approach the Daytona 500, but all the other disciplines of race. that he's been a part of and what the differences are in how he's prepped for this race compared to everything he's done in the past. So let's hear what Elio has to say. Well, Elio, first, thanks for taking the time to talk about your new experience.

You have had so many great racing experiences and meant so much to IndyCar, had great success in sports car. You've kind of done everything that you can do on your side of the racing world with four Indianapolis 500 wins. You've won a 24 hours three times. So why is the time right to come run the Daytona 500 now? Well, first of all, Kevin, it's great to be joining your show. You're doing a phenomenal job. And, yes, it's great to be in a situation that you're still able to learn.

You still able to obviously enjoy a lot, racing, which has have a lot of fire inside me. So because of that, when you have opportunity, especially with an amazing group of people like Trackhouse and Project 9-1, and everything starts showing in a way that you're like, wow, this can actually happen because, you know, this is all happening, the opportunity with SRX, you know, basically a long time ago with a hawk, basically making a joke about it, if I would have,

win an SRX race, he would have tried to put me a Daytona 500. I was like, you see, so when you can do that, I said, yes. And that's how it started. And we had an opportunity, but it wasn't a very good one. And finally, all the pieces and everything together start getting to a way that I say, you know what, why not? Let's go ahead and make this happen. So I'm super, super excited with an amazing group of people, as I mentioned before.

and Justin Marx is absolutely, he knows what he thinks, and he has an amazing vision ahead of it and putting this project together with everyone. It's a phenomenal opportunity for a lot of people, especially for me, you know, we need the Indy500, as you mentioned. And only AJ 4 and the Mario Andrej were able to do that. It's incredible.

Obviously, it would be an amazing challenge, incredible challenge. I know what I have in front of me, but hey, I love, love challenge and why not to try now? Well, I love the fact that you're willing to step outside of that box and do this. And I think for everything that you did on the on the IndyCar side of the world, what has the preparation been like for you? What is what has caught you off guard? I know you've been at the shop to do the seat fitting and things like that. Tell me some of the things that have kind of

you've kind of had to step back and say, oh, this is this is not normal. You've driven the SRX car. you've driven IROC cars. But since you've driven the IROC cars, a lot has changed inside those race cars. So tell me about your experience of getting fitted, getting prepared, and everything that you're going to do leading up to the 500.

Because there's really no way for simulation to help you in this particular case because of the fact of the pack racing and how much speed it picks up. So just give us some insight into everything that you've got going on leading up to the Daytona 500 from a preparation standpoint. Yes, so from the beginning, mentioned the Project 9-1, the particular, you know, the Zigny, a lot of the guys just for this race car.

And I was looking to my teammates, you know, Ross, Chastain and Daniel Soraris, even Shane, which is, we have a good stories from a long time ago together. And but those two guys, Daniel Soros and Shane, are a lot bigger than me. So I actually end up taking a small step and going to Ross seat so that I, the base seat, you know, so that I can at least find a few comfortable, which actually we have a very same high and seem to be the same body type. So it was perfect. I just made a little adjustment in the long bar. And so we did some running in Talladega. I even used that seat for the ARCA practice that we had a few weeks ago.

go and it seemed to be perfect. So on that particular area, I feel very comfortable. But I'll be honest, the first practice in Talladega coming out of the pits, because we did a lot of pit simulation. This is one of the challenges that I think for me will be a big one. In any car, in sports car, and a lot of people might not know, when you come to 60 mile an hour, just press a button and basically the car stays on 60 mile an hour. You can go full throttle, do whatever you want to do,

and then the car doesn't increase the speed. It's completely different than the cup car. You actually have to control that on the throttle, being very smooth. So for me, that is being some of the challenge. I'm probably going to be a little bit, you know. And, you know, even if you go 100 revs lower, you are one or two, one an hour slower. People are going to probably start bumping you.

So we have to get that one right. And coming out of the pits as well, I mean, so much power. I mean, it's so incredible that I wasn't, you know, expecting that. I knew there was power, but it was so much coming to the right, to the left. It's like all over the place. So I was getting used to. I was finally able to understand the revs. But I feel that actually at the track, you know, running with everyone.

I haven't run yet, but I feel the racing aspect, it won't be, I mean, it would be hard to understand when to move and things like that. But I feel it would be okay on that particular scenario. But the biggest challenge that I think for me will be, it's about six or seven pit stops that I have to really be careful and control what to do on those scenarios. All right. Well, you can't leave us hanging on the story. You got to tell us a story that you mentioned with,

was it Shane or past history? What were you referring to there? So, you know, 10 or 15 years ago, I went to Australia via Super Cup and it was one of those races that international race they used to invite us and I

was having such a hard time and we're sort of like teammates in that particular race and we went to Queensland and he he saw that I was having a hard time finding the breaking point. It was so difficult and so interesting and

it was my first time with driving on the left right on the right it was something completely different so he came to me and gave me a lot of tips and i improve about a second and a half i was like from now on you're going to be my coach and ironic now i said look coach you were back again so you got to give me tips again and he's been great from from the beginning for the end he's been very very good and uh we we reconnect again well that's great and you know Shane is just a stand-up guy you've got a a great group of of people to to lean on over there at Trackhouse from the driver's side of things.

And I think you're going to do great. When you go back and you look at, you know, the IROC days, is there anything that you remember about the IROC cars and everything that we did? I know you and I raced against each other a little bit in the IROC cars. Is there anything that you go back and you think about from the IROC days that might apply to anything that you do in the cup car? I do. I remember range with you against you, Ryan Newman, Jimmy Johnson.

It was quite a lot of experience, too. And my admiration for you two guys to able to find that air that we were having a hard time as an open wheel guys to understand. Because people don't realize in the open wheel, the car in front of you sucks you, right? So you basically control your own destiny. In the cup car, basically, you have someone behind you pushing you. And for you to understand that dynamic, it's a very, very hard. I remember Mark Martin actually with me. He was giving a hard time, hitting me so hard that I'm like,

he must damage his car, but he didn't. So I understand this can be really the elbows out at one point, and I'm prepared for that. Hopefully we'll be able to stay out of trouble. But I do, I do remember how hard it is, how be patient you need to be. and I'm willing to use those muscle memories from Iraq days to apply for the Daytona 500. Let's talk a little bit about your path and you've had a great career. Tell me how you started, how you became interested in racing and your path to what eventually led you to be an IndyCar winner champion,

Indianapolis 500 winner, I mean, just everything that you could dream of. Tell me about your path for those on the NASCAR side that may not know, a lot about you so that we can understand how you started and how you wound up here in the U.S. racing. Oh, Kevin, my love for sport was actually with a stock car here in Brazil. And that was interesting. My dad used to have a small team, and I started just, he never raced, but he had this small team.

And I start watching and fall in love with the sport. I enjoyed just the noise of the engines, enjoy the smell of the gas. And from there on, I really, really fall in love. I felt when I jump in the race car, I was part of a, I could, you know, take care of my own destiny. And once I got my first trophy, I was like, man, this is pretty cool. After my first win, I start realizing, okay, I don't have many friends here. I need to take care of my own here. But, oh, joke aside, racing for me, it was a lesson in life, you know.

I started dealing with a lot of people, you know, from wealthy people, people not so much about that, but people that you can trust or not trust. You know, so it was a great lesson in my life. So when I went to America, obviously, in the car was my goal. And as soon as in 1998, it was my first time when I joined Tony Bettenhausen, which was incredible. believe on me and after that was Carl Hogan and a year later end up joined team Penske and stayed there for many many years so it was a great it was destiny that put us there so we I couldn't thank enough for everything that happens in my life in the way in the way he did and it's

still the going yeah and you know I think when when you look back from the outside looking in you look to be just this very self-motivated high energy loving personality that is just easy to gravitate towards. And, you know, for a guy like myself watching IndyCar races, you see these interviews and this personality. And it's just, you know, it's just, it's so easy to gravitate towards liking you just because of the way that you act. But then, then you, then you drive. And that part is, that part is exciting as well. And so, you know, it's just been, it's been a joy to watch you, you know, through the years. And I think one of the interesting things for me, you go to Team Penske. When it, when it, when it came to,

time to get to the end. How did that, how did that conversation start? How did it go with, with the Penske and the team? And how did it feel to be in somebody else's car to win after your time at Team Penske was over? That had to be very rewarding in itself. You know, it was very interesting. As I mentioned, I couldn't think enough for Roger. He basically, the way I view that way, there was always a beginning. middle, and the end, you know, everything in life, basically. That's what happens. And it happens to the generation before me.

It happens to generation before me, before down. So it would have happened eventually. And the conversation was very, very smooth, you know. And the way I see with Roger, especially after I win my Indy500 without them, I said, Roger, I can't think enough you and your entire family and your entire, team to adopt me, raise me, and then set me free. So it was, that's the way I felt. And obviously, Tim Sindrick now, which is big news, right? So I couldn't believe it. We just spoke with that Daytona 24 hours, but he was also a person that it started together. We were

started together at Team Penske. And he was another person that really guide me in a lot, a lot of ways. So when you have a group people, when you surround by amazing people, you don't feel that it's an end. I never felt there was an end with Team Penske. I just have a lot of admiration for the entire group and especially Penske family. But in the end, you've got to keep it going, right? You have dreams. You have motivation, as you mentioned. I want to keep doing more things. And after my time with Penske, I end up capturing a lot of other things, which is amazing. You know, three Rolex, Daytona, 24 hours, which is fantastic, and I'll need 500. So now Daytona 500.

So you see, there is always an opportunity. Maybe one door closed, many other open. But I will never stop thanking, you know, that family for maybe who I am, because definitely that's what happened. So you've got the Daytona 500. What else is, what else do you have going forward as we go through the year? do you have plan this year? So I'll be doing the Indy 500 as well with the MSR, which I became a minority owner with the team, which is interesting.

It's hard for you to take your helmets and put the team owner hats. I'm still adapting to sort of like that scenario. But we have incredible drivers, you know, Mark's Armstrong and Felix Rosenquist representing the team at the Indy 500 side. We have the Accra sports car. program this year, which is super, super cool within a second at Daytona 24 hours this year. So for me, I'm still going. As I said, I might end up doing something here in Brazil.

Who knows? Maybe in the big cars, like stock cars now that I'm bitten by the bug. But who knows? One day, as you know, Kevin, we talked about that before. You know, the cycle is going to end, which is absolutely normal. And then I'll pursue something else. But as I said, with this fire that is still inside me, with the opportunity that is to present itself, I'm going to do everything I can to take it and do the best I can. So you've driven Indy cars for a number of years.

And one of the things that's super intriguing to me is when guys like you come back just for the Indy 500. And I look at that and I'm a freak of just having things be as repetitious as possible to happen the same and seats the same. What is that process like running one race a year? Because I got in Kyle Larson's car last year and hadn't done that in four or five months. And I felt like a fish out of water as far as being comfortable. I mean, you could still make it happen, but not at that comfort level that you can carry the car. So how does that process go of getting yourself comfortable back in the Indy car to be able to feel like on qualifying day, you're competitive to be in the game?

Yeah, the good news, I've been doing this since 2018. now just one in one race. So you get used to also the benefits of the Indy 500. We have about a week of practice, dependence of the weather. You always pray not to rain because you want to get back in the cell as soon as possible. But, you know, the track and the cars and the team as well, as long as you, I have a seat that it's been 25 years, the same seat. Not the same. We're scanning out, but it's the same sort of like a shape, which makes me complete.

back to that muscle memory. So it's just like running a bicycle. You know, you might take a few laps so you adapt to the penes of the setup that year. And but then after that, it comes back really, really good. This year for me, would be interesting because you're going to have the hybrid. And I did a test last year and you can see how different, how easy you can put that button, press that button all the time to get a little bit extra power. But how strategize you got to be.

to make sure that when you region this power, you don't lose much time. So it will be different this year, the Indy 500. So everybody needs to keep an eye on there. It's going to be special when it comes to the last laps on the race. This will be a key. Whoever has a little bit of power left, it might be the benefit to win that race. Well, there's a lot different on IndyCar. It sounds like this year.

We've got IndyCar on Fox this year. Tell us what you think that brings to the sport. having IndyCar races on Big Fox on a week-to-week basis and the things that you've seen from the team owner's side that Fox has brought to the table that are going to lead into the season. Well, we're super excited to not only have an incredible company as Fox, but you know that they're going to do anything to make not only IndyCar back to the saddle and back to what used to be. And apart from that, you know, this year now the teams, they sign a company. on track. We basically franchise now. So we were looking into this potential that in the future, as NASCAR, as Formula One, as other, even the V8 supercar, whoever wants to join in, they're going to, the teams have

valuation now, which is great opportunities. So all these things is going to lead to another manufacturer, it's going to lead to a new car. It's going to do so many things that will benefit not only the drivers, the teams, but the series as well. And so we're excited to have Fox on board. We're looking forward to it and it will be a lot of fun. So when you look at any car as a whole right now, who is the, in your opinion, who is the best driver in the sport currently? I'm going to put you on the spot.

Yeah. Thanks, man. I appreciate that. I think it's me. No, look, it's it's a, everyone asked me this question and it's difficult for you to point out one guy because in a series, in one series, you always have a person that adapts well and do extremely well. Obviously, in the car right now, I would say it's my buddy, Scott Dixon. I mean, this guy is, is incredible. but obviously you're just talking about Carl Larsson as well

he is another guy that it's the type of driver when you're talking about AJ Ford that when you sits in a chair he's going to make that chair goes fast right so you have incredible incredible people that I admire a lot and I used to race with

one Pablo Montoya you know for me he was one of the guys that I think man this guy is a tough tough nut to crack you know But I enjoy it. I enjoy to have this type of drivers because you can learn from them.

And when you beat them, you feel like, yeah, today was a good day. Well, it's always best to compare yourself to the best people, right? I mean, when you're a true competitor like you are and I am, you want to put yourself up against the best because that's what motivates you. That's what drives you. And I think when you mentioned Scott Dixon,

I mean, he's been there forever. and we are in the middle of, and I think Tony Stewart put it the best, a once-in-a-lifetime generational driver in Kyle Arson, when he ventured over to Indy cars last year and ran the Indy-500, is there anything that stuck out just of being around Kyle or watching him drive or the things that he did at the Indy-500 to you that you're like, whoa, this guy's a little bit different than some of the other guys that have popped over here and done this.

Yes, in fact, with, finish just, I mean, I think one position behind each other. And in the race, we had a lot of, I had a lot of opportunity to race against him. And I know, I realize that even for someone that never drove an open wheel car, all of a sudden, the way he was anticipating. Because when you drive a car, it's no problem. You, you feel the speed. You feel what the car needs. It's becoming natural to you, but anticipation before things happen, that's when you realize that, okay, he understand the game. He understand what he needs to do just before it happens. And when you do that, you can definitely position a car whatever you want to make moves or to prevent

scenarios that you don't want to do it. So that for me was actually stand out a lot. And I have to be honest, Gavin, you were the one that I always look after because I know you were. you push as far as you could in your career to keep driving. I don't know why you stopped, by the way. I thought you were going to keep it going. But you were one of the drivers that I said, man, if I would have been in a NASCAR Cup, but one day I want to be like that guy. So, yeah, you were one of my favorite as well.

Well, I appreciate that. And, you know, I think as you go through the years, it's good to have that natural, I was fortunate to have that natural opportunity to go and be in the booth. be a part of everything that Fox has going on. But I love the sport. I love being involved in it. I've got a 12 and a 7-year-old. So that's perfect timing to really be a part of Keelan's racing career and Piper, her adventures into whatever she's doing. So I've really enjoyed the, I've really enjoyed the booth. I don't know that, you know, I would probably venture too far out. Kyle hit me the other day. He's like, hey, we're going to come race at your dirt track. You have any interest in driving this, this sprint car and I was like

absolutely not this is you guys are nuts would you ever would you ever drive his sprint car because it seems like he wants people to drive it you know remember danieloski I mean he invite me so many times to drive this car

as like okay now I think I think it's a little bit beyond my capability I'm with you I was not grow up on dirt so I when I did SRX man I suck on the dirt. It was horrible. So I said, okay, maybe that's not the way I should be racing here.

Well, that leads me to our final question. And it's the same thing that we ask everybody. But what was your first car? When did you get it? Did you buy it? What's the story of your first car that you drove when you were a kid? Yes, it was my dad purchased for his company. And in Brazil, we have the Volkswagen Fox, but it's not the normal Volkswagen Fox. It's like El Camino, you know, they have the back of the car a little bit open, but it's a tiny one. So that was my first car called Saverero. And I used to That's where I learned how to drive, to be honest,

in the streets here in Brazil. And even when I did not have the driver's license, I still driving it, but it was a lot of fun. And I, yeah, that car was, it was good to me in many aspects. Yeah, where did it go? Did you sell it, wreck it, or did you just leave it behind? Once I actually moved to states,

my dad company shut down. I think he went with the company and yeah. I don't know what happened. So, but yeah, it was a good car for me. What's the coolest race car you've ever driven? It was the Raynard from 2000 to 2001. Man, that car was a beast. I remember going to Sebring and you put in third gear and the car still actually will

spinning. You were like, oh my goodness, this was very, very incredible machine. and I enjoy so much driving those cars. But also the sports car, the Accra, man, those cars are so incredible. So many buttons that I still don't know what those buttons are supposed to do, but I was just driving the car and the car was like a glove. Elio, I appreciate you taking the time today. I wish you the best of luck in the Daytona 500.

I'll be there calling the race, watching your progress through the week, and hopefully you have some fun doing it. I might end up calling you and say, hey, I need some tips. I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. Let me know.

If you need anything, you just let me know. Good luck. I'll definitely let you know. But thank you so much, Kevin. All the best, my friend. All right, man. Have a great day.