INDIANAPOLIS -- Sam Hornish Jr. is the shy, quiet type. Helio Castroneves is funny and boisterous.
Together, they comprise the Indy Racing League's odd couple.
Hornish and Castroneves are two of the series' most identifiable names and drive for one of racing's best-known owners, Roger Penske. And despite their distinctly different images, the one-time rivals have become more than teammates -- they are now friends.
“It was kind of hard the first time we went to announce the deal because he was still sort of the enemy,” said Hornish, who left Panther Racing to join Team Penske this season. “But he's not any more.”
They are as different as Oscar Madison and Felix Unger, and it is evident in their profiles.
Castroneves' favorite vacation spot is the Brazilian beach; Hornish lists his as home. Castroneves prefers red beans and rice and sushi; Hornish likes meat and potatoes. Castroneves enjoys playing tennis and working out, while Hornish would rather bowl, play poker and golf.
It's not uncommon for them to finish each other's sentence or engage in back-and-forth comedy. Castroneves even jokes that he's coaching Hornish on hist hair style, which is beginning to look remarkably similar to Castroneves'.
On the track is where the two drivers are most similar.
“I think Helio and Sam raced wheel-to-wheel together and had tremendous respect for each other's capabilities,” Penske said. “The two of them have really developed a very open relationship and that's how we want it. We want them to be friends.”
Yet both refuse to back down from a challenge, even against a teammate. That was evident in this year's first race at Homestead, Fla., where Hornish beat Castroneves to the finish line by .0698 seconds.
Both also have built strong racing resumes.
Hornish's 12 race victories are the most by any driver since the IRL was formed in 1996, and he's won two points championships. In 2001, at age 22, Hornish became the youngest champion of a major North American open-wheel series.
Some in racing circles believe the best thing for the IRL would be for Hornish and Castroneves to develop a rivalry that would give the league a stronger profile among racing fans. Doing that as teammates, though, might prove challenging.
“It's funny, I never thought of it that way,” Castroneves said. “We'll still be competitive, but we're wearing the same jersey, so it's a matter of following the mold Team Penske has, which is pretty good.”
Castroneves burst onto the scene three years ago, becoming the eighth rookie to win the Indianapolis 500. He followed that with another Indy 500 win in 2002, making him the fifth driver to repeat as champion.
Last year, Castroneves won the pole at Indianapolis and finished second to then-teammate Gil de Ferran. With three straight top-two finishes on the 2 1/2 -mile oval, he holds the distinction of having the best start to an Indy 500 career.
