Gonzalo Rodríguez (racing driver)

Gonzalo Rodríguez
Nationality Uruguayan
Born (1971-01-22)January 22, 1971
Montevideo, Uruguay
Died September 11, 1999(1999-09-11) (aged 28)
Laguna Seca Raceway, California, U.S.
CART Championship Car
Years active 1999
Teams Penske Racing
Starts 1
Wins 0
Poles 0
Previous series
1997–1999
1996–1997
1994–1996
1993		 International Formula 3000
British Formula 3000
British Formula Renault
Spanish Formula Renault

Gonzalo "Gonchi" Rodríguez Bongoll (January 22, 1971 – September 11, 1999) was an Uruguayan racing driver. He showed promise in Formula 3000 for three seasons, taking two wins in 1998 at Spa-Francorchamps and Nürburgring, winning the following season in Monaco and finishing third in both championships. Following a rotation of drivers as team mates to Al Unser Jr. in CART Penske Racing's second car, he was given his opportunity at the Detroit Grand Prix in 1999 and scored a point in his only race.

At the Laguna Seca Raceway during the qualification session for his second CART race, he was fatally injured in a crash. A stuck open throttle caused his car to overshoot the braking point, going off the track at more than 140 mph and slammed into a concrete barrier at the entry of the Corkscrew corner. The impact caused his car to flip over the barrier and land upside down on the other side of the wall. Gonzalo was killed instantly by a basilar skull fracture caused by the impact with the wall, which was lined by only a thin layer of tires. Because of the incident, runoff was installed at the end of the straight.

Gonzalo had a contract in place to compete in the 2000 CART championship with Patrick Racing.

In July 2013, Autosport magazine named Rodriguez one of the 50 greatest drivers to have never raced in Formula One, citing both his mental and physical strength, and his race craft.

In 2014, a Spanish-language documentary of his life, Gonchi, was released.[1]

Racing record

Complete International Formula 3000 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 DC Points
1997 Redman & Bright F3000 SIL
DNQ		 PAU HEL
Ret		 NÜR
6		 PER
Ret		 HOC
17		 A1R
7		 SPA MUG
8		 JER
Ret		 22nd 0.5
1998 Team Astromega OSC
Ret		 IMO
3		 CAT
21		 SIL
Ret		 MON
2		 PAU
Ret		 A1R
4		 HOC
11		 HUN
7		 SPA
1		 PER
Ret		 NÜR
1		 3rd 33
1999 Team Astromega IMO
5		 MON
1		 CAT
2		 MAG
Ret		 SIL
15		 A1R
DNQ		 HOC
4		 HUN
Ret		 SPA
2		 NÜR 3rd 27

Complete American Open Wheel results

(key)

CART

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Rank Points
1999 Team Penske Lola B99/00 Mercedes-Benz IC108E MIA MOT LBH NZR RIO STL MIL POR CLE ROA TOR MIS DET
12		 MDO CHI VAN LS
WD		 HOU SRF FON 32nd 1

References

  1. ↑ Got Netflix? Watch Gonchi September 3, 2015.
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