FanHouse HelioCastroneves

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves stopped by for a live chat with FanHouse Friday, while he was track-side at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The former winner of the television hit Dancing With the Stars is ranked fourth in the IndyCar Series championship, which wraps up its season Saturday night.

Castroneves, who drives the No. 3 Team Penske entry, took your questions on everything from racing to dancing to whether he could ever see himself in NASCAR. Oh, and he also answered a question about Danica Patrick's phone number.

Check out what Helio had to say after the jump.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The 93rd running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing lived up to the billing on Sunday with wild action (eight caution periods), a historic finish (Danica Patrick's third place) and a popular victory (Helio Castroneves' third Indy win).

Here's a look at some other storylines from Sunday's Indianapolis 500:

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INDIANAPOLIS -- After parking his race car in front of the main grandstands -- still emotional after claiming a dramatic third Indianapolis 500 victory -- Helio Castroneves tried to climb out and celebrate.

"A yellow shirt [security] guy kind of pulled me in, he was literally holding my helmet and myself there in the car,'' said Castroneves, laughing about the scenario. "Finally I saw the team come to me and I said, 'I'm sorry, I've got to get out.' "

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The tears flowed as soon as Helio Castroneves turned his red-and-white car into Victory Lane, and he really got emotional when Roger Penske leaned over to give his driver a hug.

"Thanks for giving my life back," Castroneves said between sobs.

He could've lost it all. He could've gone to prison for six years. Instead, he was celebrating another win at the Indianapolis 500.

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INDIANAPOLIS - The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has kicked off its 100th birthday celebration with the closest Indy 500 starting field in history, the largest crowd in recent memory and a vibe reminiscent of the race's heyday.

Even NASCAR's "King" Richard Petty will be trackside today as Jim Nabors sings "Back Home Again in Indiana" -- to wrap up a traditional pre-race show unlike anything in sports.

Sure, the Penske and Ganassi and Andretti Green teams are odds-on favorites to win today's Indianapolis 500. But with the reunification of the two open-wheel series last year, the grid boasts a legitimate 13-14 contenders and has finally put to rest the notion that Indy has lost its competitive edge.

INDIANAPOLIS -- It's been suggested more than once that two-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves is living a Hollywood movie script. Courtroom drama meets sporting triumph, all pointing to a happy ending.

Ryan Hunter-Reay wasn't fast enough to earn a spot in next Sunday's Indianapolis 500 as he exited Turn 4 on his final lap of qualifying Sunday at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

But somehow, someway, the 28-year-old Floridian conjured up just enough speed in the final few seconds -- the final hundred yards -- to make the field by three hundredths of a second (.03) bumping out Canadian Alex Tagliani, who was sitting in his car, next in line to qualify, as the traditional gun shot sounded ending qualifications.

Effusive and emotional by nature, Helio Castroneves could offer up only a simple and humble greeting when he arrived at his team's trackside garage area in Long Beach, Calif., shortly after sunrise Saturday morning.

"Hey guys, I'm home," Castroneves, 33, told the Team Penske crew, who loudly applauded his arrival -- hugs and handshakes all around.

There was no celebratory fence climbing, victory lane to visit or mirror ball trophy to hoist, but two-time Indy 500 winner and "Dancing With the Stars" champ Helio Castroneves scored the biggest victory of his life Friday when a Miami jury acquitted him of federal tax evasion charges that could have sent him to prison for six years.

And so this weekend, Castroneves will be seeing checkers instead of stripes.

Minutes after the early Friday afternoon verdict, his longtime racing strategist, Tim Cindric, sent Castroneves a text message: "We're ready for you" to which Castroneves responded, "I'm coming man."

And just like that, a Team Penske plane was immediately dispatched to Miami to transport Castroneves to the IndyCar Series race in Long Beach, Calif. where he will compete Sunday.