"Roger Penske pulled me aside": Helio Castroneves relives iconic Long Beach GP moment

Helio Castroneves remembered a story about what Roger Penske told him after he won the pole position at the Long Beach GP back in 2017, sharing that the team boss pulled him aside to ask how he managed to achieve it. The Brazilian driver has previously claimed four poles and even a win in 2001 at the street circuit in California.

Helio Castroneves has stopped racing full-time in IndyCar since the 2023 season, but remains part of the sport as a minority partner in Meyer Shank Racing's management group. He also took part in last season's Indy 500 with MSR, and will compete this year as well.

As part of the previews for the Long Beach GP, the 49-year-old was asked to share his thoughts about the historic event, and he shared how special the race is for him personally.

Speaking to Eric Smith for indycar.com, in an article published on Tuesday, Castoneves relived his successes at Long Beach and even recalled an incident with Roger Penske from 2017.

"I have a few pole positions there. I think it was 2017 -- it was fantastic. I had a great lap there. And of course, the win (in 2001) was absolutely amazing." Castroneves said.

'When I won the pole in '17, Roger (Penske) even pulled me aside and asked where that lap came from! It was magical." he added.

Helio Castroneves originally retired from full-time racing after the 2017 IndyCar season, and returned only for sporadical appearances for Team Penske and Arrow McLaren for the next three years, which included the Indy 500. But in 2022, the Brazilian returned to race full-time for MSR, and even extended his contract further to race in 2023 as well.

Finally, he decided to step away again in 2024, but did return to compete at the Indy 500 that year, as previously mentioned, and will do again this year. Helio has previously claimed four victories at the historic motorsports event in Indianapolis.

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Helio Castroneves claims Long Beach GP is the second best IndyCar race to win after the Indy 500

Helio Castoneves at the 103rd Running of the Indy 500, 2019 - Source: Getty

Helio Castroneves has also claimed that the Long Beach GP is the second best race to win in IndyCar, beaten only by the Indy 500. The former Penske driver has claimed that the event in California is 'one of the most prestigious' in the series.

Speaking to indycar.com ahead of the race weekend, Castroneves also shared his opinion that if a driver cannot win the Indy 500, then the next race on the list for them is the Long Beach GP.

"The Indianapolis 500 is the ultimate goal that a driver wants to win. However, Long Beach is one of the most prestigious because of everything: the history, how incredible the track is, and how Hollywood is so close. So, if you cannot win the Indy 500 you want to make sure that Long Beach is on your book."

Luckily for him, Helio Castroneves did not have to settle for one or the other, as he claimed victory at both events during his career. He won the Long Beach GP in 2001, and claimed victory at the IMS four times in 2001, 2002, 2009, and most recently in 2021.