Felipe Giaffone
Encyclopedia
Felipe Giaffone is a race car driver from Brazil
. He competed in the Indy Racing League between 2001 and 2006. His father, "Zeca" Giaffone is the 1987 Stock Car Brasil
champion and Mil Milhas Brasil
five times winner in the 1980s.
legend and countryman Nelson Piquet
. He began racing in the IRL in 2001 and won one race at Kentucky Speedway
in 2002. In 2003 Felipe was one of the IRL's representatives in the IROC
series, but he only competed in two races due to injury and finished 10th in series standings. In 2005 Felipe made a last minute deal with A.J. Foyt to qualify a third car for him in the Indianapolis 500
. With minutes to spare, Giaffone bumped Arie Luyendyk Jr. from the field. Starting in the final 33rd starting position, he avoided attrition and finished 15th. With A.J.'s grandson A.J. Foyt IV leaving the IRL for NASCAR
in 2006, A.J. the elder chose Giaffone to be his full time driver for the 2006 season
but he was released after eight races due to what Foyt called "communication problems".
Since 2007, Giaffone has raced in the Fórmula Truck
, the Brazilian racing truck series, and won the championship in his first season.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. He competed in the Indy Racing League between 2001 and 2006. His father, "Zeca" Giaffone is the 1987 Stock Car Brasil
Stock Car Brasil
Stock Car Brasil is a Touring car auto racing series held in Brazil, its first season was in 1979, it's considered the major Brazilian motorsports series...
champion and Mil Milhas Brasil
Mil Milhas Brasil
The Mil Milhas Brasil is a sports car endurance race held annually in Brazil since 1956....
five times winner in the 1980s.
Racing career
He went to the United States to drive in the Indy Lights series in 1999 where he was coached by Formula OneFormula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
legend and countryman Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet
Nelson Piquet Souto Maior , known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver. He was Formula One world champion in , and . He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna , Alain Prost , Juan...
. He began racing in the IRL in 2001 and won one race at Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Jerry Carroll, who, along with four other investors, owned...
in 2002. In 2003 Felipe was one of the IRL's representatives in the IROC
International Race of Champions
International Race of Champions, better known as IROC, was a North American auto racing competition, promoted as an equivalent of an American All-Star Game or The Masters...
series, but he only competed in two races due to injury and finished 10th in series standings. In 2005 Felipe made a last minute deal with A.J. Foyt to qualify a third car for him in the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
. With minutes to spare, Giaffone bumped Arie Luyendyk Jr. from the field. Starting in the final 33rd starting position, he avoided attrition and finished 15th. With A.J.'s grandson A.J. Foyt IV leaving the IRL for NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
in 2006, A.J. the elder chose Giaffone to be his full time driver for the 2006 season
2006 in IRL
The 2006 IRL IndyCar Series season began on March 26 and concluded on September 10. Sam Hornish, Jr. won his third IndyCar Series championship. Hornish also won the 90th Indianapolis 500, passing rookie Marco Andretti on the final lap less than from the finish line.- 2006 IndyCar Series schedule...
but he was released after eight races due to what Foyt called "communication problems".
Since 2007, Giaffone has raced in the Fórmula Truck
Fórmula Truck
Fórmula Truck is a Brazilian motorsport series, competed by truck tractor units.-History:Origin of the category came from the contact between the truck Aurélio Batista Félix Santos and Portuguese journalist Francisco Santos. On September 6, 1987 was the first race on the circuit Autodromo...
, the Brazilian racing truck series, and won the championship in his first season.
IndyCar results
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 2001 in IRL The 2001 Indy Racing Northern Light Series season saw the addition of five races and loss of one to bring the total to 13. Chip Ganassi Racing returned to the Indy 500 with four cars and were joined on the grid by Penske Racing and Team Kool Green. Many other CART teams made clear their intention... |
Treadway Racing |  PHX 6 |
HMS 4 |
ATL 10 |
INDY 2001 Indianapolis 500 The 85th Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Sunday, May 27, 2001. Race rookie Hélio Castroneves led the final 52 laps and won his first Indy 500.-Changes for 2001:... 10 |
TXS 2 |
PPI 7 |
RIR 11 |
KAN 4 |
NSH 8 |
KTY 8 |
STL 20 |
CHI 10 |
TX2 21 |
6th | 304 | ||||
| 2002 2002 in IRL The 2002 Indy Racing League season was one of transition, with many CART teams participating in a partial IRL schedule while retaining "lame duck" status in their original series with their CART engine suppliers Toyota and Honda... |
Mo Nunn | HMS 7 |
PHX 19 |
FON 6 |
NZR 2 |
INDY 2002 Indianapolis 500 The 86th Indianapolis race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 2002. It was the seventh Indianapolis 500 held as part of the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series schedule, and was part of the 2002 Indy Racing League season.... 3 |
TXS 5 |
PPI 4 |
RIR 3 |
KAN 4 |
NSH 7 |
MIS 3 |
KTY 1 |
STL 21 |
CHI 6 |
TX2 17 |
4th | 432 | ||
| 2003 2003 in IRL The 2003 IRL IndyCar Series season brought some of the biggest changes in its history. The league adopted the name IndyCar Series, after a settlement with CART prohibiting its use, had expired... |
Mo Nunn | HMS 9 |
PHX 3 |
 MOT 3 |
INDY 2003 Indianapolis 500 The 2003 Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Sunday, May 25, 2003.-Recap:The "curse of the Indy three-peat" prevailed again on lap 169, as pole-sitter and two-time defending champion Hélio Castroneves was held up behind lap car A.J. Foyt IV coming out of the second turn, allowing teammate... 33 |
TXS 17 |
PPI 13 |
RIR 6 |
KAN 22 |
NSH Inj |
MIS Inj |
STL Inj |
KTY Inj |
NZR Inj |
CHI 15 |
FON 16 |
TX2 19 |
20th | 199 | |
| 2004 2004 in IRL The 2004 IRL IndyCar Series season was dominated by two teams, Andretti Green Racing and Rahal Letterman Racing. While there was great parity in 2003 between Honda and Toyota powered teams, in 2004 Honda began to outshine Toyota bringing their teams Penske Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing down with... |
Dreyer & Reinbold Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is an American motor racing team in the open wheel Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, with one series win by co-owner Robbie Buhl, who owns the team with Indianapolis BMW, Infiniti, Volkswagen and Maserati dealer Dennis Reinbold.... |
HMS |
PHX |
MOT |
INDY 2004 Indianapolis 500 The 2004 Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis on Sunday, May 30, 2004. It was part of the 2004 IndyCar Series season and the ninth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Pole winner Buddy Rice led the most laps and won the race for team owners Bobby Rahal and David Letterman.After... 15 |
TXS 9 |
RIR 10 |
KAN 16 |
NSH 15 |
MIL 13 |
MIS 16 |
KTY 16 |
PPI 16 |
NZR 16 |
CHI 8 |
FON 20 |
TX2 11 |
20th | 214 | |
| 2005 | Foyt A. J. Foyt Enterprises A.J. Foyt Enterprises is a racing team in the IZOD Indycar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt Enterprises won IRL titles in 1996 with Scott Sharp and 1998 with Kenny Bräck, the latter driver also winning the Indianapolis 500 for the team... |
HMS |
PHX |
STP |
MOT |
INDY 2005 Indianapolis 500 The 89th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 29, 2005. It was the premier event of the 2005 IndyCar Series season, and the tenth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Dan Wheldon won the race under a yellow flag... 15 |
TXS |
RIR |
KAN |
NSH |
MIL |
MIS |
KTY |
PPIR |
SNM |
CHI |
WGL |
FON |
31st | 15 |
| 2006 | Foyt A. J. Foyt Enterprises A.J. Foyt Enterprises is a racing team in the IZOD Indycar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt Enterprises won IRL titles in 1996 with Scott Sharp and 1998 with Kenny Bräck, the latter driver also winning the Indianapolis 500 for the team... |
HMS 8 |
STP 9 |
MOT 15 |
INDY 2006 Indianapolis 500 The 90th Indianapolis 500 was held on Sunday, May 28, 2006. Sam Hornish, Jr. won the race by passing rookie Marco Andretti on the final straightaway, about 450 feet from the finish line... 21 |
WGL 5 |
TXS 16 |
RIR 17 |
KAN 19 |
NSH |
MIL |
MIS |
KTY |
SNM |
CHI |
17th | 142 |
IndyCar career summary
| Year | Team | Starts | Wins | Points | Championship Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Treadway Racing Treadway Racing Treadway Racing is a former auto racing team that competed in the early seasons of the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. The team was owned by Indianapolis business man Fred Treadway. Prior to the IRL's inaugural season in 1996, Treadway was able to sign former Indianapolis 500 Champion Arie... |
13 | 0 | 304 | 6th |
| 2002 | Mo Nunn Racing | 15 | 1 | 432 | 4th |
| 2003 | Mo Nunn Racing | 11 | 0 | 199 | 20th |
| 2004 | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is an American motor racing team in the open wheel Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, with one series win by co-owner Robbie Buhl, who owns the team with Indianapolis BMW, Infiniti, Volkswagen and Maserati dealer Dennis Reinbold.... |
13 | 0 | 214 | 20th |
| 2005 | Foyt Enterprises | 1 | 0 | 15 | 30th |
| 2006 | Foyt Enterprises | 8 | 0 | 142 | 17th |
Indy 500 results
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 2001 Indianapolis 500 The 85th Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Sunday, May 27, 2001. Race rookie Hélio Castroneves led the final 52 laps and won his first Indy 500.-Changes for 2001:... |
G-Force Panoz Panoz Auto Development is an American manufacturer of high-performance automobiles founded in 1989 by Dan Panoz, son of pharmaceutical and motorsport mogul Don Panoz. The company is located in Braselton, GA. Panoz products have included the Panoz Roadster and AIV Roadster, and the Panoz Esperante... |
Oldsmobile Oldsmobile Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory... |
33rd | 10th | Treadway Racing Treadway Racing Treadway Racing is a former auto racing team that competed in the early seasons of the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. The team was owned by Indianapolis business man Fred Treadway. Prior to the IRL's inaugural season in 1996, Treadway was able to sign former Indianapolis 500 Champion Arie... |
| 2002 2002 Indianapolis 500 The 86th Indianapolis race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 2002. It was the seventh Indianapolis 500 held as part of the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series schedule, and was part of the 2002 Indy Racing League season.... |
G-Force Panoz Panoz Auto Development is an American manufacturer of high-performance automobiles founded in 1989 by Dan Panoz, son of pharmaceutical and motorsport mogul Don Panoz. The company is located in Braselton, GA. Panoz products have included the Panoz Roadster and AIV Roadster, and the Panoz Esperante... |
Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
4th | 3rd | Mo Nunn |
| 2003 2003 Indianapolis 500 The 2003 Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Sunday, May 25, 2003.-Recap:The "curse of the Indy three-peat" prevailed again on lap 169, as pole-sitter and two-time defending champion Hélio Castroneves was held up behind lap car A.J. Foyt IV coming out of the second turn, allowing teammate... |
G-Force Panoz Panoz Auto Development is an American manufacturer of high-performance automobiles founded in 1989 by Dan Panoz, son of pharmaceutical and motorsport mogul Don Panoz. The company is located in Braselton, GA. Panoz products have included the Panoz Roadster and AIV Roadster, and the Panoz Esperante... |
Toyota | 16th | 33rd | Mo Nunn |
| 2004 2004 Indianapolis 500 The 2004 Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis on Sunday, May 30, 2004. It was part of the 2004 IndyCar Series season and the ninth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Pole winner Buddy Rice led the most laps and won the race for team owners Bobby Rahal and David Letterman.After... |
Dallara Dallara Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993... |
Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
25th | 15th | Dreyer & Reinbold Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is an American motor racing team in the open wheel Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, with one series win by co-owner Robbie Buhl, who owns the team with Indianapolis BMW, Infiniti, Volkswagen and Maserati dealer Dennis Reinbold.... |
| 2005 2005 Indianapolis 500 The 89th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 29, 2005. It was the premier event of the 2005 IndyCar Series season, and the tenth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Dan Wheldon won the race under a yellow flag... |
Panoz Panoz Panoz Auto Development is an American manufacturer of high-performance automobiles founded in 1989 by Dan Panoz, son of pharmaceutical and motorsport mogul Don Panoz. The company is located in Braselton, GA. Panoz products have included the Panoz Roadster and AIV Roadster, and the Panoz Esperante... |
Toyota | 33rd | 15th | Foyt |
| 2006 2006 Indianapolis 500 The 90th Indianapolis 500 was held on Sunday, May 28, 2006. Sam Hornish, Jr. won the race by passing rookie Marco Andretti on the final straightaway, about 450 feet from the finish line... |
Dallara Dallara Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993... |
Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than... |
21st | 21st | Foyt |
Family
The Giaffone family has had great involvement in motorsport.- José "Zeca" Giaffone - Felipe's father; 1987 Stock Car BrasilStock Car BrasilStock Car Brasil is a Touring car auto racing series held in Brazil, its first season was in 1979, it's considered the major Brazilian motorsports series...
champion and five times winner of Mil Milhas BrasilMil Milhas BrasilThe Mil Milhas Brasil is a sports car endurance race held annually in Brazil since 1956....
: 1981, 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1989. The founder of ZF Racing, the biggest racing engine supplier in Brazil, and the owner of Granja Viana international kart circuit in São Paulo.
- José "Zequinha" Giaffone - Felipe's brother; He competed in some races in the 1996 Indy Lights1996 in Indy LightsThe 1996 PPG/Firestone Indy Lights Championship Powered By Buick consisted of 12 races. Canadian David Empringham captured three wins on his way to the championship.-Calendar:-Homestead race:Held March 3 at Homestead-Miami Speedway...
.
- Affonso Giaffone Filho - Felipe's uncle, Zeca's elder brother; The winner of the first ever race of Stock Car Brasil in 1979, the champion of the 1981 season and two times winner of Mil Milhas Brasil: 1981 and 1986. His four sons all competed in the Brazilian national kart championships.
- Affonso GiaffoneAffonso GiaffoneAffonso Giaffone , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. His family has closed relation with auto racing; he is a cousin of Felipe Giaffone, an ex-IRL driver, and a cousin-in-law of Rubens Barrichello...
- Felipe's cousin, Affonso Filho's son; He competed in the 1996-1997 Indy Racing League season1996-1997 in IRLThe 1996-1997 Indy Racing League season was a result of the league abandoning the concept of ending each season with the Indianapolis 500. The 1996-97 season would ultimately comprise the events following the Indy 500 in 1996, and all events contested in the calendar year of 1997.The 1996-97 season...
.
- Silvana Giaffone - Felipe's cousin and later wife of Rubens BarrichelloRubens BarrichelloRubens Gonçalves "Rubinho" Barrichello is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver. He is currently racing for Williams F1.Barrichello has scored the seventh highest points total in Formula One history. Barrichello drove for Ferrari from to , as Michael Schumacher's teammate, enjoying considerable...
. This makes Barrichello a cousin-in-law of Felipe.