Haute 100 Miami Update: Helio Castroneves

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. On our Haute 100 Miami list is Helio Castroneves, the racing star who is constantly making headlines with his dedication to speed.

Helio Castroneves

Category: Athletes

Company: Penske

Industry: Formula 1 Racing

What Made Him Haute: Castroneves’ captivating personality and thousand-watt smile (not to mention his paso doble) won him legions of fans and victory in the 2007 season of ABC’s hit show Dancing with the Stars. The Coral Gables resident graced the cover of Haute Living Miami in the summer of 2009, just a few months after he was acquitted on tax-evasion charges. Immediately following the trial, Helio boarded the Penske team jet to California, where he finished seventh in the Long Beach Grand Prix after leading the race for several laps. This was an extraordinary feat for a man who had not trained for nearly seven months. But he soon topped that by winning the pole position at Indianapolis and then the 500 itself—the Golden Grail, motor racing’s biggest and most celebrated event. It wasn’t his first time in the winner’s circle; he also roared across the finish line in first place back-to-back in 2001 and 2002.

What Makes Him Haute Now: Castroneves, who is known as one of the greatest stars in the motorsport realm, recently made an appearance on one of the most popular shows on prime-time television. Castroneves appeared on “Dancing with the Stars” as a celebrity judge on the 200th episode of the ABC show. Castroneves, along with his dance partner Julianne Hough, won the Season 5 competition on Nov. 27, 2007. Their performance of the Quickstep received a perfect score from the three-judge panel. In fact, the dance was voted one of the most favorite by viewers.

Although the driver crashed in the recent Surfers Paradise in P2, the Brazilian had posted the fastest time of the second practice session. Castroneves will also grace the Texas Motor Speedway’s 2011 event; the race is unique in that it has a two-race format, making the course somewhat difficult. IZOD IndyCar Series also released plans for a new chassis that Castroneves spoke about in the Chicago Tribune; he will start driving the car in 2012.

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