By CURT ANDERSON – 19 hours ago
MIAMI (AP) — Race car driver and "Dancing With The Stars" winner Helio Castroneves pleaded not guilty Friday to federal tax evasion charges and declared outside the courtroom that he would treat the case like a race against the Internal Revenue Service.
"I'm a race car driver," the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner told reporters. "This is a very difficult situation. I'll be strong and I'll win this race."
Castroneves, 33, spoke after his release on $10 million bail following a court appearance in which he was shackled in handcuffs and leg chains and was visibly weeping into a wad of white tissue. Outside, Castroneves acknowledged he was overwhelmed by the weight of the moment.
"It's been a long day. It's been an emotional day, obviously," he said. "I am not guilty."
Driver Castroneves pleads not guilty in tax case....
By CURT ANDERSON
MIAMI (AP) — Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and TV "Dancing With The Stars" champion Helio Castroneves was indicted Thursday on tax evasion and tax fraud charges, accused of using offshore accounts to hide millions of dollars in income from the Internal Revenue Service.
Castroneves, 33, is charged with conspiracy and six counts of tax evasion for purportedly failing to report to the IRS about $5.5 million in income between 1999 and 2004, according to court documents. Each count carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.
Also facing charges are Katiucia Castroneves, 35, the race car driver's sister and business manager, and attorney Alan R. Miller, 71, of Birmingham, Mich. All three are scheduled to make court appearances Friday and it wasn't immediately clear if they had hired defense lawyers. None were under arrest Thursday.
"This case sends a clear message that the IRS is committed to vigorously enforcing the tax laws and stopping offshore tax evasion," said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.
Race driver Castroneves charged in US tax case....
By MIKE HARRIS
JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — Helio Castroneves won the race in the second closest finish in the history of the IndyCar Series, but it wasn't enough to stop Scott Dixon from taking his second championship.
Castroneves came from last place Sunday to win the PEAK Indy 300, but Dixon, who knew coming in he only had to finish eighth or better to win the title, took the lead with a perfect pit stop late in the race and nearly held off Castroneves for the victory, crossing the finish line inches behind the winner.
After nearly 30 minutes, official timing and scoring called the margin of victory 0.0033 seconds — slightly more than the 0.0024 margin Sam Hornish Jr. had over Al Unser Jr. on the 1.5-mile Joliet track in 2002.
It was sweet redemption for Dixon, who lost both the race and the championship to Dario Franchitti last year at Chicagoland Speedway when he ran out of fuel two turns from the finish.
Dixon, who came into the race with a 30-point lead, wound up winning the title and the $1 million bonus that goes with it by 17 points.
Castroneves wins IRL Chicago, but Dixon gets title....
BY MIKE BRUDENELL • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
He blocked, but he didn't receive the mandatory warning he felt he deserved.
He got penalized, which left him bitterly disappointed.
But Brazilian Helio Castroneves departed Belle Isle with hope on Sunday. By finishing second to Englishman Justin Wilson in a controversial Detroit Indy Grand Prix, Castroneves kept his championship chances alive as he and IndyCar Series leader Scott Dixon head to Chicago next Sunday for the last race of the season.
Dixon, who finished fifth Sunday, leads Castroneves by 30 points after the Brazilian shaved the margin by 13 with his runner-up effort -- his eighth second-place finish of the year.
Wilson gets 1st series win; Helio stays in race for title....
By MIKE HARRIS
SONOMA, Calif. (AP) — Helio Castroneves didn't want to let Team Penske down.
Five days after one of the team's trucks caught fire during the long trek from its race shop in North Carolina to California, badly damaging the primary cars of Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe, the teammates drove their hastily prepared backup cars to a 1-2 finish in the Grand Prix of Sonoma.
"In my perspective, it's a great and special week for us," said Castroneves, whose victory ended a 29-race winless streak. It also put him right back into the IndyCar Series championship battle with points leader Scott Dixon, who appeared to be in control until finishing 12th on Sunday.
"It's like all the hard work, it paid off, unexpected hard work," said Castroneves, who won for the first time since taking the checkered flag at St. Petersburg on April 1, 2007.
Castroneves gets first win in 30 races....
