Dancing Car Racer Castroneves In US Taxes Trial

`You don`t decide a case because you think a person is well-known, whether famous or infamous,` the judge said.

Dance fans outnumbered car racing fans in the jury pool when Brazilian race car driver and television dancing star Helio Castroneves went on trial on Monday on U.S. tax evasion charges.

The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner is accused of failing to pay taxes on $5.5 million of income between 1999 and 2004. Also on trial are his sister, Katiucia Castroneves, and lawyer Alan Miller, accused of conspiring with him to evade taxes.

Only three hands went up when the judge asked the 72 potential jurors if any of them followed professional car racing but at least half indicated they watch the popular ABC television program "Dancing With The Stars."

"The ones who watch the show? That's everyone!" U.S. District Judge Donald Graham joked.

Castroneves, 33, won the dance contest in 2007 and many of the jury candidates indicated in questionnaires that they recognized his name. The judge cautioned that the defendant's celebrity and wealth should play no role in the verdict.

"You don't decide a case because you think a person is well-known, whether famous or infamous," the judge said.

Castroneves is charged with using Panamanian and Dutch companies to conceal some of the income he received from the Penske Racing Team as a driver and for the licensing rights to use his name and image. Castroneves lives in the Miami suburb of Coral Gables.

As he entered the courthouse wearing an elegant suit and light blue shirt, Castroneves said he was innocent and confident of victory in the courtroom.

He is charged with conspiracy and six counts of income tax evasion and could face up to 35 years in prison if convicted, though he likely would be sentenced to far less.

His lawyers planned to argue that Castroneves acted in good faith on the advice of his accountants and lawyers, and that the tax law applied in the case was "unsettled." Their list of potential defense witnesses included three judges, other race car drivers and race team owner Roger Penske.

The judge said the trial was expected to last up to six weeks.