"I used to write cool love letters" - When Tony Kannan reflected on aiding friend Helio Castroneves with his crush

IndyCar legends Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan were childhood friends who shared a close-knit bond. Growing up in Brazil, the two nurtured not only their dreams of racing but also a camaraderie. They became friends when they were 10. The duo eventually achieved their aspirations of motorsports glory in the pinnacle of American racing.

Castroneves, who still competes part-time for Meyer Shank Racing, is a four-time Indy 500 winner and one of the greatest drivers of the historic racing event. Kanaan, the same age as Castroneves, won the Indy 500 once and clinched the NTT IndyCar Series Championship in 2015. But while they've achieved eternal racing glory on the track, neither driver has forgotten their humble beginnings.

In an interview with WTHR in 2023, Kanaan said:

"Helio was always the shy guy, which it's impossible to be. I mean, as a kid you see this kid coming from the woods and racing in the big cities, and be like, 'Who is this kid?' Obviously, we clicked right away." [00:51]

During their formative years, Helio Castroneves was enamored with a girl but unsure how to express his feelings. In came Tony Kanaan, the self-proclaimed expert in crafting love letters. Helio confided in his friend, seeking advice on how to woo the girl he admired. Reflecting on the moment, Castroneves said:

"You're young and you're like, 'Hey I like this girl.' And this guy (Tony) had experience, he goes, 'You know, you should write her a letter.' Back then it was just writing letters, guys. It was not taxed like it is today."

Recalling the incident, Kanaan said:

"So we write this letter to this girl that lived in another city. We send her the letter, and she thought it was really cool. I mean, I used to write cool love letters. She didn't know, who cares?"

Kanaan further revealed how neither believed it would be possible for both of them to succeed.

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Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves never thought of achieving racing success together

Tony Kanaan (L) and Helio Castroneves at The 107TH Running of the Indianapolis 500 - Practice and Qualifying - Source: Getty

In the same interview, Tony Kanaan said:

"Many of the nights that we spent sleeping in each other's house, we talked about making it one day. And we actually had a promise amongst ourselves saying, 'If one of us makes it, we are going to hire the other to help. You're going to carry my helmet, or vice versa.' Thank God up until today, we don't have to. We never talked about both of us making it because it was going to be really difficult." [02:11]

Helio Castroneves then went on to describe the profound influence Kanaan has had on his life. The 49-year-old said:

"Tony is obviously a part of my life. Friendship, competitor, all of this above because he's like a brother. And I am who I am because he's a big influence in my life."

Castroneves last competed in the Grand Prix of Road America, finishing the race in 19th position.