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| · 2013 Australia GP: Formula One F1 Practice Two Results - Vettel, Red Bull Fastest! (Mar 15, 2013)
· 2013 Australia GP: Formula One F1 Practice One Results - Vettel, Red Bull Fastest! (Mar 14, 2013)
· 2013 IndyCar: Barber Park Wednesday Test Results - Power, Chevrolet Fastest! (Mar 13, 2013)
· 2013 IndyCar: Barber Park Tuesday Test Results - Power, Chevrolet Fastest! (Mar 13, 2013)
· 2013 Las Vegas: NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Results - Kenseth, Toyota Win! (Mar 10, 2013)
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2013 IndyCar Q&A: Helio Castroneves
Earlier today, Team Penske's Helio Castroneves participated in the conference call to discuss next week's Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the 2013 season. Castroneves is the defending champion of the event and has won on the streets of St. Petersburg three times (2006, 2007 and 2012).
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Q. I know you and the rest of the IZOD IndyCar Series drivers just wrapped up a test at Barber Motorsports Park. Did those two days in the car make you want next week to come even faster?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: It was good to be back in the race car after such a long offseason for us. I think everybody has the same feeling of finally being in the car. You see people getting ready, preparing themselves and it's just becoming very rushed, especially when you have all of six months off.
So you look at it like that, it's like I don't have enough time, but that's the way it is. But I am very excited to go to St. Pete next week and defend my win from last year.
Q. You have three wins at St. Petersburg. What is it about the streets of St. Petersburg that suits your driving style so well, and why do you like that course so much?
HELIO CASTRONEVES: The atmosphere is great. The fans are awesome. The weather is beautiful. It's the first race of the season. When you put everything together, you just are super excited to be back in the race car and ready to go.
So it's a place where everything starts, a special place to start the season that you can see it's going to be very exciting.
Q. Can you talk a little about last year's race, obviously the first race with the new chassis, and winning that race and then going to climb the fence at the Dan Wheldon Way sign.
HELIO CASTRONEVES: Certainly the end was awesome, but the beginning of the race was actually pretty good. We started in sixth place and we just managed to stay out of trouble. As soon as some of the leaders made a pit stop, we decided to stay out, and from there on it was just a matter of keep going and over to the pits.
We were able to come back in second place behind the Ganassi guys, Scott Dixon, and we were able to make a great move on the outside, turn one, and passed for the win. So we were extremely excited and happy to start the season like that.
The celebration was even better, having the Dan Wheldon sign in respect over there, and to celebrate. It was a memorable coincidence and it was just really great to remember him the way he lived, and not what happened the year before. So it was a very emotional, crazy win.
PaddockTalk Perspective
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