2/20 :: Sambadrome surprise

Caio de Carvalho, the Secretary of Tourisn of the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, knew the special guest's appearance would be dazzling. Still, the high-speed dash by Ana Beatriz in the Indy Racing Experience two-seater took him by surprise. The Firestone Indy Lights driver and Brazil native made two runs on the Anhembi Sambodrome's concrete stage before the Champions' Parade of Carnival on Feb. 19 (the parade lasting until almost 6:30 a.m.), delighting spectators and even briefly overpowering revelers with the piercing sound of the 3.5-liter engine at full throttle. The Sambodrome will be incorporated into the 2.6-mile, 11-turn circuit that will host IZOD IndyCar Series drivers in the season-opening Sao Paulo Indy 300 on March 14. A passenger during one of Beatriz's passes was BAND-TV sportscaster Renata Fan, who reported live from the event. The parade, including the promotional two-seater runs, was broadcast live.