When Helio Castroneves paid a touching tribute to Dan Wheldon after creating IndyCar history

Dan Wheldon is a revered legend of IndyCar and the racing world, but he was also a strong rival and friend of Helio Castroneves. After his victory at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix for a record-setting three times in 2012, he paid a heartwarming tribute to his old friend.

Wheldon unfortunately died during a multi-car wreck in 2011 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His car was launched airborne and suffered two impacts to his head, which led to his unfortunate demise.

The British driver was a friend to many, including four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves. Moreover, in the season opener at St. Petersburg in 2012, he won the race and ended his 19-race winless streak and created history by winning his third Grand Prix at the street circuit, a record that he still holds to the day.

It was the first race held around the streets of St. Petersburg since Wheldon's death and a street was renamed to "Dan Wheldon's Way" at turn 10 after him to pay tribute to the city's resident. After winning the race, Castroneves sprinted to the street sign and climbed the fence in honor of the racing legend.

While the Brazilian driver has been unable to win the IndyCar championship, he has been exploring other racing realms.

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Helio Castroneves reveals how the ARCA Menards series helped him understand the intricacies of stock car racing

Helio Castroneves at the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 - Practice - Source: Getty

The 49-year-old is a seasoned veteran and has won the 24 Hours of Daytona thrice (2021-23), and is an IMSA Sportscar champion. While Castroneves has experience winning in various racing divisions, he tried his hands at stock car racing in 2025 at Daytona.

Helio Castroneves ventured over to the ARCA Menards series for his first taste of stock car racing. He finished fifth on his debut and revealed the complexities and differences of racing stock cars as he said (via X/@bobpockrass):

"You only see a bumper, just a big bumper, and it's understanding what the spotter is telling you so that you can push or not. Saving fuel was (also) something that I learned today, even if it was against a different car with less power." [2:55 onwards]

However, Castroneves' training for the premier race in NASCAR went in vain as he got caught up in crossfire during a multi-car wreck on lap 71 of the 200-lapper on February 16. He lamented his outing and hopes to get back onto the 2026 Daytona 500 grid.

On the other hand, the 2025 IndyCar season will break covers this week. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will host the season opener on March 2 and a 27-car grid will take on the 100-lap race to take the victory home.