Barrichello To Indycar??

Over the past 4 or 5 months there has been many rumors including Rubens implementing his talents into the Indycar Series.  One of the rumored possibilities included a driver swap between he and Marco Andretti, although it never gained traction.  The latest rumor out is by Speedtv, it has Barrichello jumping into the 3 car for 09′, with the Helio situation up in the air it makes a little sense.  At this point, I see it as VERY doubtful, but crazier things have happend.

UPDATE: In Curt Cavin’s latest addition of his Q&A he reports that the story about Barrichello testing with Penske is completely FALSE, and I tend to trust Curt over Speedtv.

Audi,Porshe, And Alfa Interested In IRL

According to Robin Miller, Audi, Porshe, and Alfa Romeo joined Honda in talks to join the Indycar series in 2011 with the introduction of the new engine and Dallara chassis.

Helio Update

Curt Cavin had an update on the Helio situation, coming strate from his Q&A

•       I spoke with Roger Penske after Helio Castroneves was allowed to participate in the upcoming race in Australia, and Penske said they had made an internal decision not to field the car in that race if Helio couldn’t drive it. He added that no decision on 2009 will be made until after the Australia race.    -Curt Cavin

Helio Asks To Race

One of the biggest questions in Indycar circles the last week or so has been who, if anyone, will drive the 3 car for Surfers?  Well, props go out to Isitmayyet for uncovering the news that Helio is asking the courts in Florida to allow him to race in the upcoming Nikon Indy 300 in Australia.  This could be a sign that Penske Racing is interested and thinks that the 33 year old will be able continue his racing career in the IRL.  The article says that a judge has scheduled a hearing for “Friday afternoon” for the request.  I am assuming they mean today, so stay tuned for more details.

UPDATE 4:25: Within the last hour, the Judge has made his decision and Helio has received permission to race in the Nikon Indy 300, assuming Roger is “OK” with it (and you know he is) the long thought over question of who will be in the 3 car has been answered.  This also sets precedent for Helio possibly being able to leave the country next season for the races in Motegi, Edmonton, and Toronto.

D&R Poll

After a couple days of little to no Indycar news, I decided to surf a couple team sites and what do I find?  A poll is up on the Dreyer & Reinbold racing site asking for a fans opinion of D&R’s best moment of the 08′ season.  Before reading the choices, the first things that popped into my head were Townsend Bell’s start at Milwaukee, passing 10+ cars on the first lap and the solid 3 finishes of 8th,10th, and 19th for the 3 car operation at Indy.  So what moment is currently in the lead with a margin of 3% in the ongoing poll?  Well, of course its “Towel Gate” of Milka Duno throwing a towel in the face of Danica in Mid-Ohio.  I should of guessed.

Matos to Luczo Dragon

Raphael Matos has been announced as the 2009 Luczo Dragon driver, replacing Tomas Scheckter.  Running only one race in 07′ and a few in 08′ the team will go full time in 09′ competing at all the races.

“This is an exciting day for our race team because not only are we taking that step to full-time status, we are adding a young driver who has proven to be a champion at every level he has raced. Any time you can win four championships in six years like Rafa has done you have some special qualities. He is ready for the IndyCar Series, and we are so thrilled to have him.” -Luczo Dragon Racing co-owner Jay Penske

“I am pleased we are in a position to have Rafa join our team. We are most excited about building a winning program with Rafa and helping others through our charity program. Together Rafa, Jay and I will be selecting a charitable organization in Brazil that furthers our goals to help others through our racing efforts and success.” -Luczo Dragon Racing co-owner Steve Luczo

“I couldn’t be more excited about everything, it’s an unbelievable opportunity. We have a very good team. All the pieces are in place. We just need to build a solid base through preseason testing, put everything together and go for it. I can’t wait to get started.” -Luczo Dragon Racing Driver Raphael Matos

Petit Le Mans IRL Driver Results

Congrats to Helio Castroneves, who after a long tough week, teamed up with Ryan Briscoe to win there class in the 08′ Petit Le Mans.

• *Helio Castroneves/Ryan Briscoe 1st in class 4th overall (LMP2)
• *Ryan Briscoe                               3rd in class 6th overall (LMP2)
• *Gil De Ferran/Scott Dixon           5th in class 8th overall (LMP2)
• *Max Papis                                  2nd in class 11th overall (LMGT1)
• *Marco Andretti/Tony Kanaan      7th in class 16th overall (LMP2)
• *Dario Franchitti                          9th in class 37th overall (LMP2)

Helio Update

UPDATE: Dave Calabro of WTHR and IMS Public Address Announcer, reports that Helio will race this weekend in Atlanta after posting a 10 million dollar bail.

Video From WTHR (Indy NBC Affiliate) Voice of Dave Calabro

 

According to TMZ, Helio was in cuffs and shackles as he was escorted in the the court room today where he plead not guilty.  They also report that Helio was brought to tears throughout the hearing.  Helio had to turn in his passport, meaning that he will not be racing in Australia later this month unless the court changes there mind.  He will however be allowed to race this weekend in Atlanta as scheduled with partner Ryan Briscoe in the Petit Le Mans for Penske Racing.

Thanks Trackside

Thanks to Trackside with Cavin & Kevin for the plug on there Indy radio show and on the webcast that can be heard in central Indiana on Thursday’s from 7-9pm or online at 1070thefan.com.

Helio Castroneves Faces Charges Of Tax Evasion

According to several sources, Helio Castroneves is facing up to 35 years in prison resulting from an investigation spanning several years for Tax evasion

1. Castroneves is facing seven counts which carry a maximum of 35 years in jail, according to Adam Kuperstein, a reporter with WTVJ, the NBC affiliate in Miami. Castroneves’ lawyer faces a maximum of twenty years. Neither man is expected to get such a lengthy sentence if convicted, however.  “You don’t mess with the IRS. We joke about that, but no matter who you are, if you’re a celebrity or just an average human being, a normal citizen, when you mess with taxes and the federal government, they’re gonna come down hard,” Kuperstein said in an interview with Eyewitness News.The indictment is the result of an investigation that spanned several years, according to Kuperstein. “This didn’t come out of nowhere. They’ve been paying close attention to Helio. That’s where these charges come from – from 1999 to 2004 – they broke it down and figured out he owed $2 million in taxes. That’s a lot of money, no matter who you are.”-WTHR.com                                                                    

2. The Brazilian driver’s sister, Kati Castroneves, is also facing indictment charges, as are his attorney, Alan Miller, and an unidentified business manager.

   The charges stem from what authorities told the Miami Herald is failure to pay over $5 million in taxes over the course of four years. -MSNBC

3.  The indictment charges that Castroneves illegally concealed income from Penske Racing Inc. and the Brazilian firm Coimex International S.A. Neither company is charged with any wrongdoing.

   In Penske’s case, prosecutors say Castroneves was to be paid $5 million in exchange for rights to use his name, likeness and image. The money was initially supposed to go to a Panamanian shell corporation, but then was diverted to a Dutch entity called Fintage Licensing.

   Fintage was set up as a “deferred royalty plan” in which U.S. tax payments can be delayed, which is only legal if Castroneves had no relationship or control over it. Prosecutors say he did have control and that false statements were made to Penske about the relationship.

   Coimex paid Castroneves $600,000 between 1999 through 2001 for sponsorship contracts, but he only paid taxes on about $50,000, prosecutors said.

   Katuicia Castroneves transferred some of the hidden money to a Swiss bank account she controlled with her brother, court documents show.-AP

Not surprisingly, Neither HelioCastroneves.com or Penskeracing.com have made any comment on the matter so far.  What isn’t known is what kind of effect this will have on Helio’s racing career.  Obviously, if he is found guilty and is dealt 35 years, than he’s got major problems, however that is very unlikely.  What is likely is that Helio will not be behind the wheel of a Penske machine this weekend as scheduled to team up with Ryan Briscoe to run in the Petit Le Mans on Saturday.  There are also possibilities that Helio could miss partial if not all of the 09′ season and is questionable for the Surfers race in a few weeks.

UPDATE: Helio to show in court Friday at 1:30pm

UPDATE: The entire indictment can be read courtesy of WTHR