Will Power signs with Penske

Roger Penske’s IndyCar Series team on Tuesday hired IndyCar driver Will Power to drive Helio Castroneves’ car in preseason testing but said it remained hopeful that Castroneves could compete in 2009.

Castroneves, a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 for Penske, was indicted last October on federal tax-evasion charges and faces a trial scheduled to start March 2. The Brazilian has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

But with the race season approaching, Penske tapped Power, a 27-year-old Australian who drove for the team of KV Racing Technology last year, to drive Castroneves’ No. 3 car in preseason tests.

Whether Power stays in the car starting with the season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla., on April 5 depends “on how everything sorts out” with Castroneves’ trial, team President Tim Cindric told a news conference at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“We need to be sure in 2009 that we’re ready to go and we’re ready to win as many races as we can,” Cindric said as Power, Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe, Penske’s other IndyCar driver, joined him at the conference. “We’ll kind of take it a day at a time.”

Castroneves’ ride is considered one of the most coveted in motor sports in light of Penske’s strong record in the IndyCar Series, including 14 Indy 500 victories alone.

Power could be a good choice for Penske Racing. He formerly drove in the Champ Car World Series, which was absorbed into the IndyCar Series in the reunification of U.S. open-wheel racing a year ago.

Champ Car’s races were mostly on curvy “road courses” and street layouts that are now combined with the oval tracks long favored by IndyCar. And the first two races of this year’s IndyCar Series are April 5 on the streets of St. Petersburg and April 19 on the streets of Long Beach, where Power won the final Champ Car race a year ago.

“I’m really looking forward to helping these guys out for the 2009 season,” Power said, adding that he felt “very privileged that they chose me. No matter what the outcome is, I’m very happy to be here.”

Castroneves declined to comment on his court case but said he continued to exercise to stay fit.

“I can’t wait for this thing to be over, for me to be back in the race car, do what I love most, which is racing,” he said.

Cindric also said the team continued to support Castroneves “under difficult circumstances,” adding that “if Helio is ready to go at St. Pete . . . the 3 car is his.”

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james.peltz@latimes.com