Twenty-seven qualifying attempts, seven withdrawn cars, six others bumped, three crashes, two runs disallowed and emerging Saturday on pole day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was normalcy when Helio Castroneves was the fastest qualifier yet again.

The Brazilian who beat fed- eral tax evasion charges just 31/2 weeks ago in a Miami courtroom officially marked his return to open-wheel racing prominence by winning the Indianapolis 500 pole for the third time in his career.

Castroneves, who was acquitted April 17, did it in style Saturday, withdrawing Team Penske’s No. 3 car late in the afternoon — amid treacherous east-blowing winds, no less — to knock teammate Ryan Briscoe off the pole.

“That’s what I know to do since I was 11 years old,” Castroneves said of driving a race car. “It’s what I love to do.”

The two-time Indy winner described the Speedway as “magic,” but he again showed he’s the magical one. There was nothing but support from the crowd estimated at more than 20,000, and those who know him best couldn’t have been more pleased.

“He about made me cry again,” team president Tim Cindric said.

Said team owner Roger Penske: “He did it with his foot and not his mouth.”

The Brazilian who celebrates his 34th birthday today did it with the sport’s best giving it their best shot.

Briscoe even withdrew the car sitting safely in the second spot to take a last-minute shot at Castroneves’ four-lap average of 224.864 mph. Like the others, he fell just short, a run of 224.083 mph that returned him to the middle of the front row for the May 24 race.

Dario Franchitti secured the third starting spot for the third time in his six 500s. He won the 2007 race from that position. Castroneves hasn’t won Indy from the pole.

The first day of qualifications started and ended with Justin Wilson on the track, but he did not leave with one of the 11 starting spots. Positions 12 through 22 will be contested today beginning at noon.

In between Wilson’s runs was the mayhem, with 2005 race winner Dan Wheldon and rookie Nelson Philippe crashing. Neither driver was injured, but it was the second crash in as many days for Wheldon’s Panther Racing team. Scott Sharp crashed Friday at the Speedway.

Eight of the 11 drivers who ended up with starting spots opted to try twice. Danica Patrick (10th) was prepared to go a third time.

Tony Kanaan (sixth) had his first run disallowed because his car was too light. Graham Rahal (fourth) went a second time because Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing officials were uncomfortable with the car’s specifications as qualified.

But Rahal likes his spot.

“My dad won from there in 1986,” he said.

Scott Dixon, who won last year’s race from the pole, made two attempts but couldn’t get higher than fifth. Mario Moraes’ best effort among two runs was seventh. Marco Andretti sat on the pole early, got knocked back and tried to recover. He settled for eighth.

Will Power tried only once, but he gave Team Penske three cars in the top nine. Andretti Green Racing has three in the first 10.

Chip Ganassi’s team has three, too, given that Alex Lloyd is under contract to Ganassi Racing but running this month in a partnership with Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Lloyd took the 11th spot from Hideki Mutoh.

Wilson, Ed Carpenter, Raphael Matos and Paul Tracy were the drivers who made qualifying attempts but came up short. Tracy didn’t make a second attempt because his KV Racing Technology team wanted to save tires for the race.

Tracy raced Castroneves for the win in 2002, but there was no challenging him Saturday.

After the lengthy court case Castroneves endured last month, Saturday seemed almost easy.

“You don’t know how many times I sat in a courtroom and thought about being back at this place,” Castroneves said on pit road as cars raced by. “This is where my life is. This is what I know how to do. This is what I was made for.”