Helio Castroneves

Marlboro Team Penske driver Helio Castroneves recently kicked off his latest business venture in Brazil. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner has teamed with nine others to bring the Burger King hamburger franchise to Brazil.

The group opened the nation's first Burger King outlet in Sao Paulo in November at the Ibirapuera Mall. Castroneves joined two of the nine other partners Galvao Bueno, a Brazilian Formula 1 announcer, and Luiz Eduardo Batalha, for the grand opening of the franchise. Nish Kankiwala, the international president of Burger King, and Julio Ramirez, the president of Burger King in Latin America, also were present at the opening ceremonies.

Castroneves and his partners plan to open two more Burger King franchises in Sao Paulo this year and a total of 50 stores over the next five years.

Press release
IRL