Felipe Giaffone

Infobox racing driver
name = Felipe Giaffone

---

pixels = 200px
caption = Giaffone as a Fórmula Truck driver.
nationality = BRA
date of birth = Birth date and age|1975|1|22
place of birth = São Paulo
date of death =
retired =
related to =
last series = 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
fastest laps =
best finish = 4th
year = 2002
prev series = Indy Lights
Toyota Atlantic
prev series years = 1996-2000
1995
titles =
title years =
awards =
award years =

Felipe Giaffone (pronounced|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".

In 2007, Giaffone raced in the Fórmula Truck, the Brazilian racing truck series, and won the championship.

IndyCar career results

Indy 500 results

Family

The Giaffone family is one of the Brazilian families that living with auto racing.

* José "Zeca" Giaffone - Felipe's father; 1987 Stock Car Brasil champion and five times winner of Mil Milhas Brasil: 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 some races in the 1996 Indy Lights.

* 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 all four sons competed in the Brazilian national kart championships.
* Affonso Giaffone - Felipe's cousin, an Affonso Filho's son; He competed in the 1996-1997 Indy Racing League season.

* Silvana Giaffone - Felipe's cousin and later wife of Rubens Barrichello. It making Barrichello a cousin-in-law of Felipe.

External links

* [http://www.kartodromogranjaviana.com.br/main.htm History of the kart circuit] - from [http://www.kartodromogranjaviana.com.br/ Granja Viana kart circuit official website]