Meyer Shank Racing Confirms Helio Castroneves for 2023 IndyCar Season

Father Time has not caught up with four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves just yet. At least IndyCar team owner Mike Shank doesn't think so.

On Friday, Meyer Shank Racing announced that Castroneves, 47, will be back for a third season with the team in 2023. Castroneves will once again team with Simon Pagenaud.

Castroneves competed in six races for MSR in 2021, when he collected his fourth Indy 500 victory. He's raced the full 14 races to date for MSR this season, though he has not been able to add to his career win total and is currently 10th all-time in Indy car racing with 31 wins, which is tied with Paul Tracy and Dario Franchitti.

Castroneves is also fourth in career Indy car poles with 50.

Castroneves' win at Indianapolis in 2021 was the first IndyCar win for the team, which competed in IndyCar for the first time in 2017.

“Keeping Helio onboard wasn’t really a question for us," team owner Shank said. "We’ve built a really strong relationship with him over these last two race seasons. He brings so much to the table, on and off the track. He’s been able to help us grow as a team and we've been able to learn from his years of experience. It’s truly a mutually beneficial relationship. And of course he’s a perfect face of the sport and has such an infectious personality, so to have him on our team is an honor.”

As for Castroneves, he told Autoweek earlier this week that he's not ready to retire just yet. He'll be 48 years old at next year's Indy 500.

"I’m so excited that myself and Meyer Shank Racing have renewed for 2023," Castroneves said in a press statement on Friday. "I’m super optimistic for an amazing season because of everything that we have built this season—all the positive data and positive energy. I can’t thank Mike and Jim enough and of course all of our partners.

"There is no question that we are all super excited to continue this amazing partnership. Simon (Pagenaud) and I are going to do everything we can to finish this season strong, and then have a good start to 2023 and some even better results.”

Castroneves qualified 18th on Friday for Saturday's Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill.