Helio started in karts in 1987, and in a career that lasted through 1991 he captured 2 national championships and a 4th place in the European World Cup. From there Helio moved into Formula 3 where he finished 2nd in the South American Formula 3 series and the Brazilian Formula 3 series.

In 1996 Helio came to the states to race in the Indy Lights series where he had 4 victories in the 2 years he competed, and lost the series championship in 1997 by only 4 points. Helio then moved to the CART series where he finished 2nd in the rookie standings in 1998.

2001 was a breakout year from Helio as he made his first start in the IRL. While he started slow, by the time the Indy 500 came around in May Helio had his sites set on making an impact. And an impact he did make. Starting in 11th, Helio came from behind to take the most important win of his career by winning the 85th Indy 500. In 2002, Helio captured his 2nd straight victory in the Indy 500 on his way to a 2nd overal finish in points, becoming only the 5th racer in Indy history to win the race in back-to-back attempts.