Felipe Giaffone

Felipe Giaffone

Giaffone as a Fórmula Truck driver.
Nationality  Brazil
Born January 22, 1975
São Paulo
Indy Racing League IndyCar Series
Years active 2001-2006
Teams Mo Nunn Racing
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
Starts 61
Wins 1
Poles 0
Best finish 4th in 2002
Previous series
1996-2000
1995
Indy Lights
Toyota Atlantic

Felipe Giaffone (Portuguese pronunciation: [fiˈlipi ʒaˈfoni], born January 22, 1975 in São Paulo) 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.

Racing career

He went to the United States to drive in the Indy Lights series in 1999 where he was coached by Formula One 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. He won the championship in 2007, 2009 and 2011, and was runner-up in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

Racing record

American Open Wheel racing results

(key)

Indy Lights

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Rank Points
1996 Leading Edge Motorsport MIA
14
LBH
24
NAZ
13
MIS
10
MIL
9
DET
18
POR
16
CLE
6
TOR TRO 17th 20
Brian Stewart Racing VAN
22
LS
8
1998 Conquest Racing MIA
19
LBH
24
NAZ
8
STL
4
MIL
2
DET
9
POR
2
CLE
8
TOR
6
MIS
9
TRO
6
VAN
5
LS
18
FON
2
4th 104
1999 Conquest Racing MIA
17
LBH
10
NAZ
18
MIL
4
POR
10
CLE
3
TOR
4
MIS
3
DET
4
CHI
8
LS
18
FON
20
6th 78
2000 Conquest Racing LBH
3
MIL
12
DET
2
POR
14
MIS
1
CHI
4
MDO
13
VAN
2
LS
6
STL
7
HOU
3
FON
7
4th 118

IndyCar Series

Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Rank Points
2001 Treadway Racing G-Force GF05B Oldsmobile Aurora V8 PHX
6
HMS
4
ATL
10
INDY
10
TXS
2
PPI
7
RIR
11
KAN
4
NSH
8
KTY
8
STL
20
CHI
10
TX2
21
6th 304
2002 Mo Nunn Racing G-Force GF05C Chevrolet Indy V8 HMS
7
PHX
19
FON
6
NZR
2
INDY
3
TXS
5
PPI
4
RIR
3
KAN
4
NSH
7
MIS
3
KTY
1
STL
21
CHI
6
TX2
17
4th 432
2003 Mo Nunn Racing G-Force GF09 Toyota Indy V8 HMS
9
PHX
3
MOT
3
INDY
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 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara IR-04 Chevrolet Indy V8 HMS PHX MOT INDY
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 A. J. Foyt Enterprises Panoz GF09C Toyota Indy V8 HMS PHX STP MOT INDY
15
TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MIS KTY PPIR SNM CHI WGL FON 31st 15
2006 A. J. Foyt Enterprises Dallara IR-05 Honda HI6R V8 HMS
8
STP
9
MOT
15
INDY
21
WGL
5
TXS
16
RIR
17
KAN
19
NSH MIL MIS KTY SNM CHI 17th 142

IndyCar Series career summary

Year Team Starts Wins Points Championship Finish
2001 Treadway Racing 13 0 304 6th
2002 Mo Nunn Racing 15 1 432 4th
2003 Mo Nunn Racing 11 0 199 20th
2004 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 13 0 214 20th
2005 Foyt Enterprises 1 0 15 30th
2006 Foyt Enterprises 8 0 142 17th

Indianapolis 500

Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team
2001 G-Force GF05B Oldsmobile Aurora V8 33 10 Treadway Racing
2002 G-Force GF05C Chevrolet Indy V8 4 3 Mo Nunn Racing
2003 G-Force GF09 Toyota Indy V8 16 33 Mo Nunn Racing
2004 Dallara IR-04 Chevrolet Indy V8 25 15 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
2005 Panoz GF09C Toyota Indy V8 33 15 A.J. Foyt Enterprises
2006 Dallara IR-05 Honda HI6R V8 21 21 A.J. Foyt Enterprises

Family

The Giaffone family has had great involvement in motorsport.

References

    External links

    Sporting positions
    Preceded by
    Airton Daré
    IndyCar Series
    Rookie of the Year

    2001
    Succeeded by
    Laurent Redon