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

Revision as of 02:45, 24 November 2016

Gonzalo Rodríguez
NationalityUruguayan
Born(1971-01-22)January 22, 1971
Montevideo, Uruguay
DiedSeptember 11, 1999(1999-09-11) (aged 28)
Laguna Seca Raceway, California, U.S.
CART Championship Car
Years active1999
TeamsPenske Racing
Starts1
Wins3
Poles0
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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