The four-time Indianapolis 500 winner will be inducted at a ceremony on May 22
INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 12, 2025) – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum announced today that four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves was voted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
Castroneves, the sole inductee this year, will be formally celebrated at the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner on Thursday, May 22 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom.
Castroneves was overwhelmingly chosen by a national panel of more than 150 journalists, participants, and historians. This was Castroneves’s first appearance on the ballot.
“I am so incredibly thankful to be inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. I was so surprised when I got the call and was immediately overjoyed with appreciation and awe,” said Castroneves. “I have some of my best memories at IMS, it’s truly an honor to be selected to be a part of the Hall of Fame.”
A member of the illustrious four-time Indianapolis 500 winners club with wins in 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2021, Castroneves is going for a record fifth victory in 2025. The Brazilian began his open-wheel racing career in 1996, first competing in the Indy Lights Series. He moved to CART in 1999, then took his first series victory with Team Penske at the 2000 Detroit Grand Prix. It was after that win that Castroneves debuted his now-famous fence climb, which has earned him the nickname of “Spiderman”.
Castroneves etched his name in history after winning the 2001 Indianapolis 500 as a rookie with Team Penske, where he led the final 52 laps. After taking his celebratory sip of milk, he poured the milk over his head in Victory Circle and inadvertently started a new way to honor the tradition of “Winners Drink Milk”. He then won his second-ever “500” the next year, one of six drivers who have won back-to-back. He came close to victory again in 2003, finishing just 0.299 seconds behind teammate Gil de Ferran.
In 2009, he won for the third time in nine years in what was possibly his most meaningful victory. He won the pole position, the pit-stop competition, and then the race after pulling away from Dan Wheldon and Danica Patrick on a restart with 17 laps remaining. He almost took the victory again in 2014, finishing second to Ryan Hunter-Reay by just 0.060 seconds. But his record-tying fourth win finally arrived in 2021 with a new team – Meyer Shank Racing.
Castroneves finished his full-time IndyCar career with an impressive 31 race wins, 50 poles (four of which were for the Indianapolis 500), and 142 Top 5 finishes. He now serves in an ownership role with Meyer Shank Racing.
“Helio’s legacy at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway speaks for itself. It’s only right that he’s now being inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame as a first-ballot choice,” said Joe Hale, President of the IMS Museum. “His tenacity, confidence, and love for the “500” helped lead to a unanimous decision beyond his on-track accomplishments.”
Tickets for the event are available for purchase at imsmuseum.org. Pricing is $2,000 for a table of eight and $250 for individual tickets. Sponsorship opportunities are available; contact Kara Kovert Pray at kpray@imsmuseum.org. All proceeds benefit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization separate from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that celebrates and preserves the history behind the Indianapolis 500 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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About the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum represents more than a century of motorsports history and is driven by its mission to celebrate and preserve the history behind the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. Since 1956 when the IMS Museum first opened, it has brought to life the innovation, thrill, and cultural significance of motor racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. What began with only 12 cars on display has become one of the world’s premier collections of racing automobiles and artifacts – with more than 55,000 artifacts and over 150 vehicles. The IMS Museum ignites curiosity, sparks discovery, and embraces tradition.