IndyCar sensation Helio Castroneves came out on April 29, 2025, and announced his move to race in the Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series for the upcoming season. The 4x Indy 500 winner made his NASCAR Cup Series debut earlier this year at the Daytona 500 and has now decided to pursue a career in stock racing in his native country.
Castroneves had previously made one-off appearances in the V8 Supercars championship and the Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series in the early 2010s. However, the 49-year-old will be racing in the series as a full timer for the 2025 season.
Castroneves will be driving for the RTR Sport team in the Chevrolet Tracker. The entry was confirmed just ahead of the debut race of the season, which is set to take place this weekend. RTR Sport previously raced in the Stock Light category and will be making their debut in the Stock Pro series with Helio Castroneves behind the wheel.
The Instagram account of the Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series uploaded a post announcing the same. The caption read:
“BACK TO THE BRAZILIAN CAR! 500-mile legend of Indianapolis, owner of three titles at the 24 Hours of Daytona and one of the biggest names in world automotive, Helio Castroneves is confirmed for the 2025 Stock Car Season! After 31 years, the driver returns to Brazilian tracks to accelerate behind the wheel of the Chevrolet Tracker for RTR Sport Team!”
Castroneves’ experience of racing in the ARCA Menards, Cup Series, and the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar championship will prove to be crucial on his Stock Car Pro debut. The Brazilian will also be taking to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway later in May for the 109th running of the Indy 500.
“I didn’t think twice”: Helio Castroneves on his decision to race in the Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series
Helio Castroneves’ last full racing season in his native country was three decades ago. The then-teenager raced in the national F3 championship before moving to the US to race in the Indy Lights (now Indy NXT) and then CART (now IndyCar). As the 49-year-old returns to Brazil, he detailed his reason for making the move.
“I am very happy with the invitation from Lincoln Oliveira [Brazilian Stock Car’s CEO and father of F1 driver Gabriel Bortoleto] and I didn’t think twice about accepting, because I am a big fan of the category, especially now that the challenge is doubled with the entry of the new SUV concept,” Castroneves said. [via Motorsport]
The four-time Indy 500 winner will be joined by some of the biggest names in motorsports: former Ferrari F1 driver Felipe Massa for TMG, Rubens Barrichello for Full Time Cavaleiro, and the Brazilian F1 champion’s son, Nelson Piquet Jr.
alt=”Pranay Bhagi” height=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Aayush Kapoor
