'Didn't See That Coming': Helio Castroneves is Back on the IndyCar Grid at Detroit

• Sunday will mark Helio Castroneves' second IndyCar race in as many weeks, and he's slated to race next weekend at Road America, as well.

• Castroneves was named to replace rookie Tom Blomqvist in the No. 66 for at least these next two IndyCar Series races.

• The driver said that while he's still a few turns ahead of Father Time, racing at age 49 is a bit different.

Helio Castroneves will be the first to tell any of his fans that this hasn't been a normal year for him.

The 49-year-old Castroneves came into the 2024 season without full-time ride in IndyCar or IMSA. Instead, he's been learning the other side of racing as part of the ownership group of Meyer Shank Racing.

Fast forward to this weekend, and—surprise—Castroneves is back in an Indy car at Detroit, driving the No. 66 Honda for MSR. It will be Castroneves' second race in as many weeks, and he's slated to race next weekend at Road America, as well.

Castroneves was named earlier this week to replace rookie Tom Blomqvist for at least these next two IndyCar Series races. Bloomqvist was benched after his first-turn, first-lap crash at the Indianapolis 500.

At stake and the reason for the driver switch are valuable Leaders Circle points. There are 25 cars in the IndyCar Series racing for 22 Leaders Circle points and more than $1 million in bonus money during the 2025 season. The No. 66 MSR car enters the Detroit race in a three-way tie for 22nd in the points with the No. 41 of A.J. Foyt Racing and the No. 20 of Ed Carpenter racing.

MSR finished just seven points outside of the final points-paying position a year ago and is calling on Castroneves to right the ship and help make sure the team isn't shut out this time around.

"I didn't see that coming," Castroneves said Friday in Detroit when discussing the driver switch. "Obviously, Tom is still very much with us. There's no question about that. The honest truth is that the move is to try and collect some Leaders Circle points for the team."

Castroneves—who has had good fortune in Detroit winning on Belle Isle in 200, 2001 and 2014—showed at Indianapolis that he can still race with the leaders. He spent much of the first half of this year's 500 racing in the top 10. He finished 20th.

"The race was great," he said. "I had a phenomenal car. The 06 Click machine was actually really strong. It's a shame—the 20th position wasn't representative of the result would be. I feel we would have been top 10, but selection of gears on some restarts and my last pit stop, unfortunately, hurt us."

Castroneves said that while he's still a few turns ahead of Father Time, racing at age 49 is a bit different than it was earlier in his career.

"Well, I've never raced 8 o'clock in the evening at Indianapolis," he said. "That was different. And our cars our very sensitive to the weather. So, a lot of cars at the end became very good. I learned my lesson, and we race again like that I'll know what to do. But hopefully, we keep on schedule."

This year's 500 and this week's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix are also testing Castroneves' mental and physical conditioning. So far, he's passing the tests with flying colors.

"Mentally is always the toughest one," he said. "You're dealing with different competitors they you don't know very much. Definitely there was a lot of people a lot of risks, unnecessary risks, but they worked. And in the end, I was passing them again. That was, for me, the hardest part."

Castroneves knows that his latest driving assignment could be a short-lived one after spending several months out of a race car.

"I've been great," he said. "I've been learning a lot from the other side of business. But at the end of the day, I'm still a driver, fresh from Indianapolis, and glad to be here and help the team."