Caio de Carvalho, the president of São Paulo Tourism, 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 Sambódromo'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 grandstands will be shaking when more than 20 IZOD IndyCar Series cars pass through the Sambódromo, which will be incorporated into the 2.6-mile, 11-turn circuit, in the season-opening São Paulo Indy 300 on March 14.

A smiling Carvalho greeted Beatriz, the only woman to win a Firestone Indy Lights race, after the promotion as the crowd of 30,000-plus was still abuzz.

"It was great to drive in the Sambódromo, to see the audience cheering, it was beautiful. This was just a sample, and I could feel the dimension of the race," she said.

A passenger during one of Beatriz's passes was TV Bandeirantes sportscaster and 1999 Miss Brazil Renata Fan, who reported live from the event.

"It was outstanding," she said. "The adrenaline, the speed, the excitement, it was all much more than I had expected. I had never been in a car like this, and it felt even better having a girl driving me." 

The parade, including the promotional two-seater runs, was broadcast live nationally as it culminated the weeklong celebration. The Champions' Parade features, of course, winners of various categories from the multiple samba school parades over the past week during Carnival.

Equipement for the trip to São Paulo will be loaded March 3-4 on two 747s in Indianapolis. IZOD IndyCar Series drivers and teams will prepare for the season, which features four consecutive street/road course events to kick off the 17-race campaign, during an Open Test on Feb. 24-25 at Barber Motorsports Park.

Dave Lewandowski by www.indycar.com