Castroneves seeks support for Indy race in Brazil

Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves met with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Monday to seek support for an Indy Racing League event in the South American nation next year. Castroneves said the race would help Brazil promote its ethanol, which is being used in IRL cars.

The IRL has been racing with 100 per cent ethanol fuel since 2007, and Brazil is the second largest ethanol producer in the world after the United States. It is also the largest exporter of the fuel.

Castroneves, who gave Silva the helmet he wore to win his third Indianapolis 500 in May, said the president promised that the federal government would do what it can to get the race to Brazil, which has five regular drivers in the series.

Terry Angstadt, president of IRL's commercial division, said last month it was 90 per cent certain that a race would be held in Brazil.

The race would likely be the first of the season. The location has not been decided yet, but cities likely to host the event are Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Ribeirao Preto and Campinas, the official government news service Agencia Brasil said.

The last time Brazil hosted an Indy race was in 2000 in Rio de Janeiro. Canoe.ca