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Fast Facts:

• Last year in Watkins Glen, Castroneves started from the pole for the third consecutive year, after setting a track record during qualifying.  He led the first 19 laps of the race before making contact with the tire barrier on the final turn, ending his day and placing him 18th.
• Last weekend in Richmond, Castroneves started 18th and was able to battle his way through the field to finish second, marking his fourth podium and eighth top-five  finish of the season.
• In the nine IndyCar Series events completed thus far, Castroneves has completed 99.9% of laps run in competition, started in the top-five seven times, and led 15% of all laps run. 
• Castroneves is currently in second place in the Championship point standings with 308 points, 43 points behind Series leader Scott Dixon. 
• Castroneves earned seven poles last season, an IndyCar Series record.  In addition, Castroneves is the IndyCar Series leader in career pole positions with 23.
• Castroneves has finished in the top-five in 58 of the 104 (56%) races he’s run since joining the IndyCar Series full-time in 2002 including Miami, St. Petersburg, Japan, Kansas, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Texas and Richmond in 2008; he’s finished in the top-ten in 80 out of 104 races (77%).

Penske Racing at Watkins Glen International:

• Penske Racing has won three of the six Indy car races they've competed in at Watkins Glen International – Rick Mears won the last race for the Team in 1981 and Bobby Unser won in 1979 and 1980.
• Penske Racing has earned 51 of its 135 race wins on permanent/temporary street courses in their 41-year history of open-wheel racing.

Did You Know?

• Castroneves set the qualifying record at Watkins Glen in 2007 with a single lap average of 136.021 mph and has started from the pole in all three races.
• Castroneves has earned eight of his 18 career wins on permanent road/temporary street courses, with the last win coming last season at St. Petersburg.

Castroneves on the Camping World Indy Grand Prix at the Glen:

“Watkins Glen has a lot of history and is a very challenging, yet fun, track to drive. We captured the pole the last three years, but for various reasons, haven’t been able to find the results we are capable of achieving. Hopefully, we’ll find the same speed that we’ve had the last three years and combine it with the finish we’ve been looking for.”