"Here comes Helio Castroneves," the announcer says.
Helio Castroneves will forever thank Milwaukee for some of his best first memories, in open-wheel racing.
Reporter Lance Allan asks the 98 podium, about the moment he jumped off the podium.
"I felt like I won the race. Right?" Helio Castroneves says with a laugh. "And I finished second! My first-ever trophy in Indy Car. You gotta be happy. For me, yeah, never forget that day. And Milwaukee. Always going to be a special place in my heart."
Allan asked Castroneves about what it was like going from Bettenhausen to his first win with his first pole in 99.
"That was super," Castroneves says. "You know, for that pole position. To see the smile on Carl's face, was incredible. For me, pushing the way I was pushing. It was amazing. This place always gave me incredible memories. Never won here. Right? But who knows. I still might have the time. Who knows I might have a car to run here. We never know. It's still a long way. So it'll be right in the end of August, the beginning of September so we're gonna be in great shape until there."
Now he has the drive, for five. One for the thumb, and making history with a run at the fifth Indy 500 win.
"I tell you one thing my friend," Castroneves says. "The way I'm seeing the offseason? We are looking good for the twin in 24 and more."
Lance Allan asks what a '5' would mean to him.
"Wow, it would mean history," Castroneves says. "It would mean part of it that nobody ever did on this planet. And I think the gods of racing would like to see that."
Lance Allan asked if Castroneves still carries the torch for those of a certain age.
"Absolutely," Castroneves says. "And I tell you what. I'm not giving, I'm not passing the torch to anybody, until I get that elusive number five."
Castroneves will run a limited part-time schedule this year but he says don't count him out from running the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s doubleheader August 31st and September 1st. Since he's run well here, but never won here.
