Helio Castroneves in second Meyer Shank Racing ride full time for 2022; Jack Harvey out

By Jul 22, 2021, 2:28 PM EDT
Meyer Shank Castroneves
Brian Spurlock / Getty Images
0 Comments

Helio Castroneves will join Meyer Shank Racing full time next season in the NTT IndyCar Series as the team announced Thursdsay it also will be replacing Jack Harvey.

Castroneves, who won the 105th Indy 500 to become the fourth four-time winner of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, will drive the No. 06 Dallara-Honda.

“I am thrilled to get the chance to go for a fifth Indianapolis 500 win, and so excited to fight for the IndyCar championship again with a full season of races next year with Meyer Shank Racing,” said Castroneves in a release. “Mike (Shank) and Jim (Meyer) have developed some incredible sponsorships with AutoNation and SiriusXM, and having that support is critical.

“I have been missing racing in IndyCar full time so much! So I cannot wait to get a head start on next year with some strong races to finish this season.”

Meyer Shank Racing also announced the No. 60 Honda will remain full time but without Harvey as the driver of the second car. Harvey has a season-best fourth at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix and is 14th in the points standings. The team said a new driver will be announced at a later date.

Harvey, 28, tweeted a statement that thanked team owners Jim Meyer and MIke Shank and said there “are many opportunities on the road ahead, and I’m eager to share my long-term plans soon.”

Castroneves’ most recent full-time IndyCar season was in 2017 with Team Penske. He continued to start the Indy 500 from 2018-20 while running the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Penske.

Last year, Castroneves, 46, moved to a part-time IndyCar schedule with Meyer Shank Racing. His lone start in 2021 has been the Brickyard victory. He will return to the No. 06 next month in the inaugural Music City Grand Prix on the streets of downtown Nashville, Tennessee.

Since a gradual entry into IndyCar in 2017, Meyer Shank Racing has made 42 starts (41 with Harvey) and recorded two podiums, two-front row starts and 12 top-10 finishes.

“There are so many people around us that have given us the opportunity to expand to two full-season entries for next year,” said Shank. “My partner Jim Meyer and I have done this in a way that makes sense for us. I am very excited to have Helio onboard for the 2022 season and I think there will be a lot of excitement around our second driver when we make that announcement as well.”

AUTO: MAY 31 INDYCAR - The 105th Indianapolis 500 Victory Celebration
Helio Castroneves became the fourth four-time winner of the Indy 500, winning the 105th edition in the No. 06 Dallara-Honda (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images).

 

Vicki Golden and 805 Beer tell a unique story from an Inverted Perspective

By Mar 31, 2023, 3:56 PM EDT
0 Comments

Vicki Golden has earned a career worthy of a thousand stories and 805 Beer tells at least one of them, as “Inverted Perspective” premiered March 30 on the company’s website and YouTube channel.

Golden did more to break the glass ceiling in SuperMotocross than she ever thought possible. She knows this because riders have never felt the need to explain any of her accomplishments with the disclaimer, “for a girl”. 

At this point in Golden’s career, she’s been the first woman to finish top 10 in AMA Arenacross Lites, the first woman to qualify in the Fast 40 in Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the first woman to compete in freestyle Moto X competition, earning a bronze medal by doing so.

Her love for moto came from childhood while she watched her dad and brother ride. By seven she was on her bike and making waves throughout Southern California. 

Golden, 30, is still madly in love with the sport and has no plans on moving away but her career is already one to talk about. 805 Beer’s film series wanted to do exactly that.

“I’m taken aback by it all,” Golden told NBC Sports about the documentary. “It’s just crazy to see your story, it’s one thing to live your life and battle everything that comes about but it’s another to just sit there and talk about it.”

805 approached Golden about the feature by asking, “Do you even realize that what you do, and your story is special?”

Golden took the question as a blank canvas to map out the highs and lows of her career and life. 

Women in SuperMotocross: Jordan Jarvis knows how tough it is

The title “Inverted Perspective” came from a brainstorming session with Dominick Russo and it highlights Golden’s outlook on the sport of SuperMotocross and her life in general. 

“My whole life, my whole career was thinking differently and looking at things that shouldn’t be done and aren’t there, while being able to make a place for myself, where no one thought there should be a place,” Golden said.  “It’s inspiring someone to think in different ways. It sums up my life.”

Vicki Golden is not “fast for a girl”; she’s just fast. – 805 Beer

While Golden is no stranger to the spotlight, this was the first time she’s been fully involved with the storytelling and creation of a feature about herself. 

“It’s not like a full new experience,” Golden said. “Obviously, you get your standard questions about your upbringing and accomplishments, but I’ve never really put into perspective things that happened in my past with my dad and putting that to light. Also, certain other things that maybe got overlooked in previous interviews or films. I wanted to touch on these and Dom wanted to create a story. It’s just cool to see it come to light, it’s a nearly impossible thing to tell somebody’s life story in 40 minutes.”

Golden’s father was left paralyzed after an ATV accident, robbing him the opportunity to ride again. This happened a few months before the father-daughter duo was set to compete in the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals when Vicki was 12. While she might have been unable to grasp the severity at the time, it’s something she carries with her. Golden continues to ride in his honor.

Years later, an accident in 2018 nearly sidelined the then 25-year-old Vicki when a freestyle accident almost resulted in the amputation of her lower leg. 

Women in SuperMotocross Ashley Fiolek is building community

Golden 805 Beer
Vicki Golden has ridden a variety of disciplines in SuperMotocross, which gives her a unique perspective. – 805 Beer

“Inverted Perspective” highlights her father’s diligence in helping Vicki continue with her career and the kindness and strength he carried while fighting his own battle. 

“My dad was the entire reason that I started riding in the first place,” Golden said. “So, to honor his memory and to honor what we went through and how hard he pushed to keep our dream alive and keep everything going – in that sense then, it was really special to be able to honor him and talk about him.”

The 40-minute feature was filmed entirely in black and white, a stark contrast from the oversaturated world of motocross where the brighter the suit the easier it is for fans to find their rider and follow him in the race. By filming in monochrome Russo and Golden had the chance to focus on the race and track from a different perspective. 

“It was cool to be able to film it differently,” Golden said. “It created a challenge in the sense of what was going to be more visually impactful for the film.

“I couldn’t be here without the companies that back me but at the same time, it’s not like the logos or colors disappeared, it’s just different lights shed on different spots. It’s just a cool way to do it and to take color away and still be impactful. When you think of black and white, you think of old school, the OG way of doing things.”

Read more about SuperMotocross

SuperMotocross Power Rankings Seattle
2023 SuperMotocross Power Rankings after Seattle: Cooper Webb, Eli Tomac...
Supercross Results Seattle
Supercross 2023: Results and points after Seattle
Tomac Seattle Supercross
Eli Tomac wins Seattle Supercross, ties Cooper Webb in championship points