Castroneves Eyes Historic Fifth Indy 500 Victory at Age 50

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — At age 50, Helio Castroneves is in pursuit of history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A victory in this year’s Indianapolis 500 would secure his fifth win, breaking a tie with legends A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, and Rick Mears for the most wins in the race’s history, which takes place on May 25.

Castroneves has tried to capture this elusive fifth title three times without success but is optimistic that this year’s event, marking his 25th Indy 500, will be different. “I feel I have a brand new engine,” he said. “They say life starts at 50, so I’m ready to start again.”

Having celebrated his fourth Indy 500 win with Meyer Shank Racing (MSR), where he is also part of management, Castroneves intends to drive for the team again this year. If he claims his fifth victory, he has no intention of retiring. “I’m going to come back and try for six,” he said, expressing a desire for a statue to commemorate his achievements.

MSR has yet to confirm any future races for Castroneves beyond the Indianapolis 500, but the team acknowledges his significant contributions, particularly his 2021 win. After two decades with Team Penske, Castroneves transitioned to MSR, where he secured the 2021 victory, paving the way for further opportunities.

The team fields two full-time cars for Felix Rosenqvist and Marcus Armstrong, with Castroneves entering as a third driver at the Indianapolis event. “Winning that fourth put the team on the map,” Castroneves said. “They know they can do it again, whether it’s me or my two other teammates.”

Rosenqvist currently sits eighth in the IndyCar standings, while Armstrong is in 14th place. This year, the team’s qualifying has improved dramatically, aided by a technical alliance with Chip Ganassi Racing, which has proven beneficial for MSR. While drivers debrief together, Ganassi’s Scott Dixon noted that Castroneves has been relatively quiet during meetings.

Ganassi drivers have five Indy 500 wins overall, though Dixon remains the only active driver with a victory in the race. Teammate Alex Palou has started the season strong with four wins in five races, adding to Ganassi’s impressive total of 16 IndyCar championships. This new partnership has significantly boosted MSR, according to Castroneves. “They don’t win races or championships because they’re lucky,” he stated.