Castroneves's Focus Is Back on Indy

INDIANAPOLIS, May 23 -- Even at speeds exceeding 220 mph, with only millimeters of carbon fiber separating his arms and legs from a concrete wall, Helio Castroneves feels safe, in control.

But he was in control of nothing two months ago as he stood before a Miami courtroom, awaiting a verdict on six tax-evasion charges. His freedom, fortune and reputation had been left in the hands of a jury.

That, he said this week, was scarier than any danger he has faced on a racetrack.

"I've been driving since 11, 12 years old," said Castroneves, who, after a seven-week trial and six days of jury deliberations, was acquitted. "I know what to do, what to expect and how to manage the situation. The other situation, it was words I don't understand much."

The threat of losing everything, he said, has made him savor days like Sunday, when, before an expected crowd of 300,000, he'll climb into his red and white No. 3 racecar and attempt to win his third Indianapolis 500.

There are comebacks. And then there's Castroneves's story.

"It was hard for me not to think about racing," he said, referring to the long days spent in court after the proceedings. "It's what I did my entire life. For it to stop all of a sudden, I didn't know where to go, what know to do. Finally, when I was back in my car, with my helmet on, behind the wheel, it was like riding a bicycle. It was great. I started appreciating things I didn't used to appreciate."

On the outside, nothing about Castroneves is different. His smile is just as bright, his hair just as black. On the inside, though, the trial changed him. He's more skeptical and, in quiet moments, the prosecutor's voice echoes in his head.

"It gives you flashbacks," he said. "When I see a movie. You're in that movie. You're in that scenario. Words you never heard before like 'objection, sustained, overruled.' Not pleasant memories."

What the legal troubles didn't affect was his sublime skill behind the wheel of an IndyCar.

The day he was acquitted of the most serious charges -- April 17 -- Castroneves emerged from the courthouse clutching rosary beads and choking back tears. That afternoon, he boarded a private jet that took him across the country to resume his career in Long Beach, Calif., site of that weekend's IndyCar race. He had been on leave from Team Penske while tending to his legal issues and had missed the season-opening race in St. Petersburg, Fla.

"I always told him, 'Look, the car is there,' " said Tim Cindric, president of Team Penske. "You just need to stay strong.' "