Mooresville, NC (My Sportsbook) - Will Power will replace Helio Castroneves in the No.3 car at Team Penske for as long as Castroneves is tied up in his tax evasion court case.

Castroneves, a two-time Indianapolis 500 champion, was indicted on six counts of tax evasion and another count of conspiracy in October. The Brazilian driver is accused of failing to report over $5 million in income to the Internal Revenue Service.

Castroneves' trial date has been set for March 2, less than five weeks before the season-opener in St. Petersburg, FL. Attorneys for Castroneves and Penske recently attempted to delay the trial until the season concluded in November, but a judge denied the motion.

If convicted on all charges, Castroneves could face up to 35 years in prison.

"We remain hopeful that Helio's situation will have a positive outcome and the team is fully behind him," Penske Racing president Tim Cindric said. "While Helio prepares for his court case, we're excited to welcome Will Power to the team. Will has already proven that he's a terrific racer, and we think he's going to be a good fit with Team Penske."

Power drove for KV Racing Technology during his rookie season in the IndyCar Series in 2008. He won on the Streets of Long Beach in Champ Car's final race in April, and after joining the IndyCar Series, he earned his first series pole in front of his home crowd in the October race at Surfers Paradise, Australia.

"It is a tremendous opportunity for me to join one of the best teams in all of racing," Power said. "I'm looking forward to the start of the season and assisting Team Penske in its preparation for 2009."

Power will team with fellow Aussie driver Ryan Briscoe, who drives the No.6 entry for Penske.

Castroneves has 14 career victories, including the 2001 and '02 Indy 500s. He finished 17 points behind champion Scott Dixon in last year's series standings. Castroneves is also the 2007 "Dancing With the Stars" reality TV competition winner.