Castroneves: IMSA title "in my memory forever" after Penske farewell
Helio Castroneves said winning the 2020 IMSA SportsCar Championship will "be in my memory forever" having finally ended his title hoodoo after two decades with Team Penske
The three-time Indianapolis 500 winner joined Penske's IndyCar team in 2000 and finished runner-up in the championship four times (2002, 2008, 2013 and 2014), but a title always proved elusive.
The Brazilian was switched to Penske's IMSA programme for 2018 and in his final season with the team, together with Ricky Taylor, clinched the title with an eighth place finish at the Sebring 12 Hours.
An early turbo problem on the #7 Acura ARX-05 they shared with Alexander Rossi cost 11 laps and looked to have swung the balance in favour of the Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac, only for WTR's Scott Dixon to come off worse in contact with Mazda driver Oliver Jarvis.
The resultant laps lost due to damage meant Dixon and title protagonists Renger van der Zande and Ryan Briscoe could only finish seventh, giving Castroneves and Taylor the title by a single point.
With Penske's IMSA programme reaching its conclusion, the 45-year-old will join Meyer Shank Racing next year for a six-race IndyCar schedule, bringing down the curtain on 21 seasons with Penske.
Speaking to NBCSN, an emotional Castroneves said: "You know, [Penske president Tim] Cindric was like, 'Don't cry!' and I said 'Look, you don't know what's going on - there's so much in my mind!
"For me to be able to finish with a championship for an incredible organisation, amazing group of people.... True friends that last forever.
"It's a new beginning for me but I'll never, ever forget this.
"I can't thank enough everyone at Acura Team Penske and this guy here [Taylor] and Roger [Penske] of course.
"Thanks RP, because obviously, it's been an incredible journey, an incredible journey for sure."
Asked if he could have written a better fairytale ending to his time with Penske, Castroneves said fighting back tears: "No, no question.
"I get emotional because it's so many years, putting this thing together, and finishing like this - not finishing but ending, you know?
"It's absolutely incredible, a blessing.
"As RP says, you lose more than you win and finally, when you clinch one, it's special.
"And this one, no question, is going to be in my memory forever."
Previous article
Mazda wins Sebring 12H as Acura Team Penske bows out with IMSA title
Next article
Tincknell: Sebring 12 Hours victory "dream way to end season"
About this article
| Series | IMSA |
| Author | David Malsher |
Why IMSA glory for Mazda would be a bittersweet ending
Mazda believes it has never had a better chance of clinching the title in IMSA's Prototype division. Achieving this goal would be the bittersweet culmination of an achingly hard struggle, after which the brand has decided to quit
The groundbreaking new boss leading GM's sportscar assault
After taking over Corvette Racing from long-time custodian Doug Fehan, 34-year-old Laura Wontrop Klauser is leading General Motors through a transitional phase in sportscar racing. Here’s how she got into her dream role and what she plans to do with it
Nine things to look out for at the 2021 Daytona 24 Hours
After a 100-minute sprint race to whet the appetite, the 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship gets underway properly this weekend. With plenty of significant changes during the winter, here are the key points you need to keep an eye on
Why Magnussen is relishing a fresh start in sportscars
Having gone over seven years without a race win through spells with McLaren, Renault and Haas, Kevin Magnussen's departure from Formula 1 for IMSA with big-hitter Chip Ganassi Racing could give him what he craves most - a chance of success
Oliver Gavin's Corvette Racing highlights
Oliver Gavin has stepped down from the full-time Corvette Racing line-up after a stellar career with the team spanning nearly 20 years. He looks back on a stint that encompassed, among other successes, five Le Mans 24 Hours victories
The 12 greatest Sebring 12 Hours ranked
The 2020 edition of the Florida sportscar classic is finally taking place this weekend, eight months after its traditional date in March. That meant there was plenty of time for Autosport to pour over its previous 67 races and select the best
When Porsche became a giant-killer
In the first of a new series celebrating underdog achievements from the annals of motorsport history, we revisit the 2015 Petit Le Mans - where a tyre advantage in appallingly wet conditions helped the GT cars overcome the prototypes
Why one car was "too fast for everyone" at Daytona
Cadillac's 100% streak of Daytona 24 Hours DPi-based victories was extended last weekend, with the Wayne Taylor Racing squad triumphant. But the manner of that victory was the real story of the first major sportscar race of 2020
