Poor Helio Castroneves, the shit has really hit the fan for our Brazilian boy. Today, the judge in his case gave him the thumbs down, on moving his trial date. On top of that, Helio says he’s broke and can’t pay his lawyers. According to news reports, the Indy 500 racer has blown over $12 million dollars, and of course forgot to pay Uncle Sam. YIKES!

Even more bad news, it looks like he’s going to get dropped from the Penske racing team next year. If I were Helio, I would high tail it back to Brazil. Or throw his ass on the mercy of the court and work out a plea deal.

LA Times Reports:

Team Penske probably will decide within the next few weeks whether two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, who faces criminal tax-evasion charges, will keep driving for their IndyCar Series team next season, owner Roger Penske said.

The decision pivots on whether the federal court hearing the tax case decides whether to start Castroneves’ trial next year or after the 2009 season, Penske said today at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

“If it’s during the season, obviously it’s very difficult for us to have him as a full-time driver,” Penske said. “It would be difficult for us to have him in the car during a period of time when he would have to be preparing himself for court.

But on Oct. 2, Castroneves was indicted by a grand jury in Miami on six counts of tax evasion, and one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, for allegedly failing to report income for 1999 through 2004, including $5 million from Penske.

After Castroneves was indicted, “I’ve never had my phone ring off the hook so many times [with] drivers who want to drive the car,” Penske said. But he added: “We have made no commitments to any drivers.”

What happened to his sister and lawyer? Katiucia Castroneves, his sister and business manager, and Alan R. Miller, his attorney, also were indicted.

What a bummer? Don’t mess with the tax man.