Helio Castroneves is boxing clever and ready to get back to racing again after escorting Floyd Mayweather into the ring ahead of the newly-crowned World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion's successful bout against Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas.
Prior to that, however, the Indy Racing League star had returned to the cockpit of his Team Penske machine at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida. Thanks to his
Dancing with the Stars fame, the Brazilian's every move was keenly tracked by cameras – from
Entertainment Tonight to
Extra,
Access Hollywood and
People magazine – as he climbed into his Honda-powered Dallara for an afternoon's testing on the 1.5-mile oval course, his first time in the car since clinching the
Dancing with the Stars laurels.
“I understand a lot about rhythm,” Castroneves explained as members of his Team Penske crew bowed down in mock homage to his dance floor exploits, “and now I'm back to my world. It's nice to be around the music of the engine, and it's time to get back to work.”
The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner drove team-mate Ryan Briscoe's #6 car during the test –one of two allowed in the Indycar Fall testing window – and was joined on the track by Vision Racing ace Ed Carpenter and Andretti Green Racing rookie Hideki Mutoh, whilst Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Dan Wheldon and AGR front-runner Tony Kanaan simultaneously participated in a Firestone tyre test on the high-banked oval.
“I followed him [on
Dancing with the Stars],” Kanaan said of his countryman, “mainly through the internet because I was here and there. He did a great job, though some of his costumes I thought were kind of funny!”
Following the test Castroneves travelled to Las Vegas as the
Dancing with the Stars cast supported Mayweather's title bid – Helio's first live boxing match. He was present at the official weigh-in, held aloft Mayweather's World Boxing Council title belt during the ring walk and was joined in the ring by fellow
Dancing with the Stars competitors Mark Cuban and Wayne Newton, as well as Mayweather's professional dance partner Karina Smirnoff.
“I had a few opportunities while we [he and Mayweather] were on the show to get to know each other, but we were both busy,” admitted lifelong fan Castroneves, who has incorporated speed bag work and other boxing principles into his racing training regime. “He was busier because he was training for this fight and learning the dancing.”
The next stop on the 32-year-old's hectic schedule now is hosting a party in Los Angeles for the
Dancing with the Stars cast and crew. After he and professional dance partner Julianne Hough won the mirror ball trophy at the end of last month – and the barrage of media interviews on the set that followed – they were whisked away to the airport for a red-eye flight to New York and more media appearances.
“It's great,” he enthused. “It's time to celebrate because I didn't have time to say thanks to everyone, especially the cast, and it probably will be a goodbye because I won't see most of them for a while. It will be great to be there and host this party.”
