INDYCAR (INDIANAPOLIS) - SERIES NOTES

1. Castroneves back in the ballroom on “Dancing With The Stars”:

1. Castroneves back in the ballroom on “Dancing With The Stars”: IndyCar Series driver Helio Castroneves hopes to follow up his grand opening on “Dancing With The Stars” with another standout performance. Castroneves and his professional dancing partner Julianne Hough scored the highest score of the six male celebrities -- and second-best overall -- on the ABC show in week 1. The couple will perform their second dance – the mambo – during the second episode on Oct. 1. “We have been working hard on the (mambo) this week, and I’m enjoying every minute of it,” said the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner. “I hope the mambo is going to be an advantage for me since I’m Brazilian, but I’m a race car driver too. My hips don’t move. In a race car, you don’t want your hips to move because it can be dangerous. It’s something very different for me.” Castroneves and Hough, along with the other 10 couples, will perform during the Oct. 1 episode. The result show will air on Oct. 2. Castroneves refused to make predictions about the competition but said he’s surprised by the competitive nature of the show. “I have to say the women are very competitive,” he said. “The men are all about having a good time. The women are like, ‘We have to win this thing.’”

Note for those who wish to vote for Helio Castroneves: Vote by phone at 1-800-868-3409 or text message at 3409 (AT&T customers only) from 8 p.m. (ET) Oct. 1 to 30 minutes after the show. Vote online at www.abc.com until noon (ET) Oct. 2. *** The 2008 IndyCar Series season begins under the lights on March 29 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 16-race schedule, one of the most diverse in all of motorsports, features races on 11 ovals, three permanent road courses and two temporary street circuits, all broadcast worldwide through a comprehensive, long-term agreement with ABC Sports/ ESPN.