Castroneves looks ready early in Indy 500 practice

• Track action resumes Thursday with the Angie%27s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis

Amid the chatter of faster cars, aero kits, a new first day of Indianapolis 500 testing, Honda, Chevrolet and long concession stand lines at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, there was a constant.

Helio Castroneves is here, as good as ever.

Castroneves might not be the freshest story of the May that opened Sunday, but he might still be one of the best. He has as much talent as charm, and come May 24 will have another chance to score the elusive and record-tying fourth 500 victory.

But first things first: The Brazilian is a week out from his 40th birthday, which caused him no pause Sunday.

"Age is just a number," he said. "If you're thinking about the past, drivers and special legends, they used to race until, what, 54?"

Castroneves was referring to Mario Andretti, whose last IndyCar race came at age 54.

"I still have 14 more years," Castroneves said.

For years, the knock on Castroneves has been he's too silly, too playful, too Helio to be taken seriously. Well, take this seriously: His 29 wins are tied with Rick Mears for 11th place in the sport's history, and his 43 poles ranks behind only Andretti (67), A.J. Foyt (53) and Bobby Unser (49).

Castroneves, who is three points out of the series lead after four races, figures to keep adding to those totals, too, given his ride with IndyCar's best top-to-bottom team. Team Penske employs four drivers who finished in the top five of last year's standings, and Castroneves has never looked stronger.

Castroneves doesn't talk as much as some about his fitness, but he's on par with drivers nearly half his age. He also happens to lead IndyCar in poles won this season (he has won two and has been out-qualified by only one teammate). Experience counts, too.

Saturday's start in the Angie's List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, a road race at IMS, will be Castroneves' 300th in the series. Among active drivers, only Tony Kanaan (298) and Scott Dixon (242) have more than 200.

How does Castroneves do it? The better question is, when will he no longer be able to?

"It's the new generation (that motivates), you know," he said. "When you're going out there, I'm a competitive guy and when I go out there I want to beat everybody else.

"And when those young guys show me different routes, hey, it's up to you to keep your mind open. I do believe this is one of my strengths."

Castroneves cited a decision a few years ago to changing braking feet – from the right to the left – as an example of him keeping up with the times. Had he refused, he might not have been able to shift gears quickly enough to match the sport's reduced braking zones.

"For me," he said, "adapting is a big deal."

Castroneves adapted again Sunday, the first time IndyCar's new aero kits have hit an oval track en masse. A time sheet scour didn't take long to find Castroneves. He was second only to teammate Juan Pablo Montoya. But he was faster in the category that matters to drivers and their studious engineers: The no-tow sheet that takes the draft out of play.

"Helio was fastest there," reigning 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay said. "By quite a bit."

Castroneves, the 500's winner in 2001, '02 and '09, lost last year's race by only a couple of feet. Whether he takes a step forward later this month and places his name alongside Foyt, Al Unser and Mears is a question for the racing gods.

But for Castroneves, it can happen and just might.

"If I don't win a fourth (this year)?" he said. "Well, then we come back next year.

"We never think it's not going to happen. I always dream big, and I do believe big dreams come true."

Morning test

IndyCar now knows, for sure, that the bodywork kits of Chevrolet and Honda work at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The speedway versions of the kits had 75 minutes of action this morning with veteran drivers piloting the cars. Rookies and drivers eligible for refresher sessions took the track after that. The afternoon practice for all drivers is from 1-5 p.m. Admission is $15.

There are currently two rookies in the field: Indy Lights champion Gabby Chaves of Bryan Herta Autosport and Stefano Coletti of KV Racing Technology.

Today's practice is the first on the oval track until after the second Angie's List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, the road course race that opens for practice Thursday. The race is Saturday. Simon Pagenaud won last year's inaugural race.

After today, the next practice on the oval is May 11.

Justin Wilson of Andretti Autosport has the fastest lap so far at 223.989 mph; the top four in the morning session were Hondas. Four-time USAC champion Bryan Clauson made his IMS return since driving in the 2012 500. Seventeen drivers were on the track.

The rookie/refresher tested ended with 10 drivers posting times. Simona De Silvestro was quickest at 222.314 mph. Davey Hamilton turned one lap for Townsend Bell, who is in California racing a sports car at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Bourdais completed three laps in Clauson's car.

Also Sunday, the No. 43 Honda of Conor Daly was unveiled. The Schmidt Peterson Motorsports entry is sponsored by Smithfield, a pork company that made its motor sports name in NASCAR with Richard Petty Motorsports.

Follow Curt Cavin on Twitter: @curtcavin