Helio Castroneves gets back to racing in Long Beach

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One day after being acquitted of tax-evasion charges, two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves drove his first practice laps today for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and then met with the media.

‘It feels like I just woke up from a nightmare,’ Castroneves said. Then he broke down in tears.

‘Everybody knows I’m a pretty emotional guy,’ said the normally ebullient Brazilian who gained added fame after winning the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ television contest with Julianne Hough in 2007. ‘I’m just so happy to be back.’

Castroneves, his sister and business manager Katiucia Castroneves and motor sports lawyer Alan Miller were accused of helping the driver evade more than $2.3 million in U.S. taxes.

But a federal jury in Miami on Friday acquitted Castroneves and his sister on the tax-evasion counts and was hung on one count of conspiracy against each of them. Miller was acquitted on his counts of tax evasion and conspiracy.

Castroneves’ race team, Team Penske, promptly flew him to Long Beach in time to practice and qualify today for Sunday’s grand prix.

After Castroneves strapped himself back into his familiar red-and-white No. 3 race car, Team Penske President Tim Cindric said he tried to put Castroneves at ease with some humor. ‘There’s a lot of people watching,’ Cindric told him, ‘so don’t stall it.’

-- Jim Peltz