By Jenna Jay
It's been more than three months since IndyCar hero, Team Penske racer and former Dancing with the Stars champion Helio Castroneves was indicted by the federal government with seven counts of tax evasion and conspiracy to commit fraud, but with the racecar driver's trial still yet to come (scheduled for March 2 in Miami) Penske Racing president Tim Cindric has chosen to make an active decision in advance regarding the future of his team. That decision's name is Will Power, and he's been called to the forefront of IndyCar action as Castroneves' temporary replacement in Team Penske's No. 3 entry.
Power, a former competitor with KV Racing and 27-year-old driver from Toowoomba, Australia, was introduced this week as Penske Racing's newest addition and Castroneves' replacement for 2009 preseason testing and perhaps even the year, depending on how the latter's trial goes in March. Castroneves could face 35 years in federal prison if charged on all seven counts of tax evasion and conspiracy to commit fraud, but the IndyCar speedster could be back in the driver's seat for the league's season opener at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on April 5 should the trial go in his favor.
The next race 33-year-old speed racer Castroneves must win is his early March trial, but he remains upbeat in news conferences despite a possible jail sentence, claiming, "My life, it's definitely about racing. I can't wait for this thing to be over, for me to be back in the race car, do what I love most, which is racing." Castroneves, a Sao Paulo, Brazil native, joined Team Penske in 2000 and started making tracks in the IRL right then and there, becoming the first driver since Al Unser in the early 1970s to win the Indianapolis 500 (considered the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing") two years in a row, capturing the title in 2001 and again in 2002. He remains the only driver ever to have won the Indy 500 in his first two attempts, and is the youngest driver in IRL history to win the race twice. The Brazilian racer has won 14 total IndyCar Series races for Team Penske since 2001, finishing the league second overall to Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon in the 2008 championship.
Will Power, the man set to replace Castroneves until his trial is over (and perhaps even longer) is in a desirable spot to jumpstart his IRL career. The native Australian has formerly raced open-wheel formula cars in Europe, racing with KV Racing Technology and making a move to the U.S. in 2006 in order to compete in the Champ Car World Series. His strength in road races makes him an asset to Penske Racing, and his dominating performances at the pole in last October's Surfers Paradise race in Australia and again in Long Beach at the end of last season put him at the forefront of up-and-coming drivers. While Power doesn't have the experience that Castroneves has, he now has the chance to show the racing world what it's been missing. To catch Power in action as he slams the pedal to the floor, get Indy Racing League (IRL) tickets from http://www.stubhub.com/irl-tickets-indy-car-series and enjoy the sound of speed!
This article is sponsored by StubHub.com and was written by Jenna Jay. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling Indy Racing League (IRL) tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.
Source:www.isnare.com |
