Gonzalo Rodríguez (racing driver)


Gonzalo "Gonchi" Rodríguez Bongoll was a Uruguayan racing driver. He was killed in an accident at Laguna Seca Raceway during qualifying for a CART race.

Career

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.

Death

At the Laguna Seca Raceway during the qualification session for his second CART race, he was fatally injured in a crash. A stuck throttle was initially thought to be the cause for his car to overshoot the braking point, leave the track and slam into a concrete barrier at the entry of the Corkscrew corner. Review of the in-car telemetry refuted this supposition. The impact caused his car to flip over the barrier and land upside down on the other side of the wall. Rodríguez 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.
Rodríguez had a contract in place to compete in the 2000 CART championship with Patrick Racing.

Legacy

In July 2013, Autosport magazine named Rodríguez one of the 50 greatest drivers never to have 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.

Racing record

Complete International Formula 3000 results

YearEntrant123456789101112DCPoints
1997Redman & Bright F3000SIL
DNQ		PAUHEL
Ret		NÜR
6		PER
Ret		HOC
17		A1R
7		SPAMUG
8		JER
Ret		22nd0.5
1998Team AstromegaOSC
Ret		IMO
3		CAT
21		SIL
Ret		MON
2		PAU
Ret		A1R
4		HOC
11		HUN
7		SPA
1		PER
Ret		NÜR
1		3rd33
1999Team AstromegaIMO
5		MON
1		CAT
2		MAG
Ret		SIL
15		A1R
DNQ		HOC
4		HUN
Ret		SPA
2		NÜR3rd27

Complete American Open Wheel results

CART