IZOD IndyCar Series championship leader Helio Castroneves said he would likely be a chauffeur if not for his Hall-of-Fame caliber driving career in a recent episode of SI.com’s “SI Now” video blog.
Helio says he would want to be a chauffeur if not for IndyCar racing
On a recent episode of “SI Now,” Hélio Castroneves answered five questions including what celebrity he was most starstruck by.
Robert Laberge
SI Now posts are quick video segments designed for easy consumption and the “5Q” episodes are an easy means to spotlight an athletes’ personality and interests. The Castroneves interview was extremely lighthearted and confirmed his status as one of the more likable personalities in the IndyCar paddock.
The Q&A transcript can be found below but we’ve embedded the video at the top of this post as the interview was both candid and entertaining.
Castroneves leads the IndyCar Series championship standings by 31 over Scott Dixon with five races remaining in the season.
SI Now: Have you ever been star-struck?
Helio Castroneves: I was star-struck for the first time when I had to interview Justin Timberlake. I was like, “Wow, this is really cool.” So I was a little concerned that I had to make some questions about his personal life but I said, “Hey guy -- hey man, help me out here. I’m a race car driver, doing something I’d ordinarily not have to,” and he was very nice. It turned out much better than I expected.
SI: What’s your favorite movie?
HC: My favorite movie, my favorite racing movie is, to be honest is Turbo! You know, it has the name, the speed and the race. And now that I’m a dad, I have my little girl and we can watch it together. It’s an excuse for me but it’s a great animated movie, not only for families but for adults and it turned out to be one of my favorites.
SI: What’s your favorite vacation spot?
HC: People ask me all the time, what is my favorite vacation spot and I tell them, HOME. (Laughs) Because we are, all the time, meeting in great areas and traveling in planes and hotels -- great cities. There’s nothing like your own bed and waking up there, that’s why I say my favorite vacation is my home.
SI: What’s your favorite athlete?
HC: A tennis player -- Roger Federer. One of the guys who was number one back in the day but he’s still one the guys that people fear. And for you to stay near the top -- all the time -- that is what makes you a great athlete.
SI: What would you do if you weren’t a race car driver?
HC: I love what I do so much, driving that I would probably do something like that. Chauffeur maybe, I don’t know? That would be great. Driving in New York City, I would probably find out some things I couldn’t say on the air, maybe.
