‘Dancing With The Stars’ Winner Helio Castroneves Wins Third Indy 500

 
 
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  • Helio Castroneves douses himself with milk after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 24, 2009
  • Helio Castroneves celebrates with the traditional bottle of milk after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 24, 2009
  • Helio Castroneves celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis
  • Helio Castroneves arrives at the 2008 ALMA Awards, August 17, 2008
  • Julianne Hough and her former ‘Dancing’ partner Helio Castroneves at Indy 500
  • Julianne Hough and Helio Castroneves celebrate winning Season 5 of ‘DWTS’

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  • AP

    Helio Castroneves douses himself with milk after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 24, 2009

  • AP

    Helio Castroneves celebrates with the traditional bottle of milk after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 24, 2009

  • AP

    Helio Castroneves celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis

  • Getty Images

    Helio Castroneves arrives at the 2008 ALMA Awards, August 17, 2008

  • AP

    Julianne Hough and her former ‘Dancing’ partner Helio Castroneves at Indy 500

  • APABC

    Julianne Hough and Helio Castroneves celebrate winning Season 5 of ‘DWTS’

 
 

FIRST PUBLISHED: May 24, 2009 5:07 PM EDT
LAST UPDATED: May 24, 2009 5:19 PM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana --

Helio Castroneves capped a perfect month of May with the biggest win of all, pulling away to capture his third Indianapolis 500 just 5 1/2 weeks after being acquitted of tax evasion charges.

Castroneves, who hopped back in his Team Penske race car as soon as he was cleared of charges that could have sent him to prison for six years, became just the ninth driver to win the historic race three times — and he’s only one win away from joining the most elite group of all: four-time winners A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears.

The 34-year-old Brazilian pulled away over the final laps to beat Dan Wheldon and Danica Patrick, who eclipsed her historic fourth-place finish as a rookie in 2005 by crossing the strips of bricks in third.

This day belonged to Castroneves, who pumped his fist all the way down the final straightaway.

“I want to climb the fence,” said the driver known as “Spiderman,” referring to his signature celebration.

Then he did just that, hopping out of his car after the victory lap and scaling the fence along the main grandstand with his pit crew.

“This is incredible,” said Castroneves, who was sobbing as he got the trademark bottle of milk.

Copyright 2009 by Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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