Rodrigo Sperafico

Rodrigo Sperafico (born 23 July 1979) is a Brazilian professional racing driver. He currently drives in the Stock Car Brasil series. He belongs to the Sperafico family of racing drivers, which includes twin brother Ricardo (with whom his career has been closely linked), along with cousins Alexandre and the late Rafael.

Rodrigo Sperafico
NationalityBrazilian
Born (1979-07-23) 23 July 1979
Toledo, Paraná (Brazil)
Related toRicardo Sperafico (twin brother)
Alexandre Sperafico (cousin)
Rafael Sperafico (cousin)
Stock Car Brasil career
Debut season2004
Current teamJF Racing
Car number19
Former teamsWB Motorsport
Biosintética Action Power
Terra Racing
RC3 Bassani Racing
Mico's Racing
Starts60
Wins2
Poles3
Fastest laps0
Best finish2nd in 2007
Previous series
1997
1998–1999
2000
2001–2002
2003–2004		British Formula Ford
Formula Three Sudamericana
Italian Formula 3000
International Formula 3000
World Series by Nissan

Career

Formula Ford

Sperafico raced in the British Formula Ford Championship in 1997. Driving a Mygale chassis, he finished ninth in the final championship standings, behind Ricardo who finished second and then took third place in the annual Formula Ford Festival.

Formula Three

The brothers took the unusual step of returning to South America for 1998 by competing in the Formula Three Sudamericana series. On this occasion, Rodrigo fared the better, finishing seventh to Ricardo's ninth. The following year, the pair both raced Dallara chassis for the Amir Nasr Racing team and proved closely matched: Rodrigo and Ricardo improved to third and fourth overall, behind champion Hoover Orsi and runner-up Jaime Melo.

Formula 3000

The Speraficos returned to Europe in 2000 to race in the Italian Formula 3000 series. Rodrigo signed for the Draco Junior Team alongside compatriot Leonardo Nienkötter, and finished fourth in the championship with one pole position and three podium finishes to his name. He finished behind Gabriele Lancieri, Warren Hughes and Ricardo, who was the drivers' champion.

For the following year, the brothers switched to the more prestigious International Formula 3000 championship; Rodrigo signed for Coloni alongside the experienced Fabrizio Gollin, whilst Ricardo partnered Antônio Pizzonia at the Super Nova Racing-run Petrobras Junior Team. Whilst Ricardo finished an impressive fifth in the championship, including a win at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, Rodrigo's season was less successful: although he finished every race he started, he did not score any points, although he lost a potential podium finish at his home race after being penalised for overtaking under yellow flags.[1] He was replaced by Marc Goossens after nine of the calendar's twelve races after his sponsorship deal ran out.[2]

Sperafico tested for several teams in the off-season period, including Arden and Astromega.[2][3] However, he eventually signed for the Durango team for the 2002 season, along with Alex Müller (who was later replaced by Derek Hill).[4] He again competed alongside Ricardo, who kept his seat in the Petrobras team, and also on the occasion his cousin Alexandre, who moved up to International F3000 for a part-season with the Coloni-run Minardi junior team.[5] Rodrigo began the championship strongly, winning the first race of the season at his home track of Interlagos, but was fortunate to take the victory as hitherto dominant leader Tomáš Enge suffered a mechanical problem.[6] He then finished a close second to eventual title winner Sébastien Bourdais at the next race in Imola to take the championship lead.[7] Thereafter his campaign faltered through inconsistency, and he took only one further podium finish.[8] He eventually finished sixth in the championship, two points and one position behind Ricardo.

World Series by Nissan

Sperafico also competed in eight races of the 2002 World Series by Nissan season for the Meycom team, finishing 18th in the championship with 12 points. He failed to retain a drive in F3000 for 2003 and took the year out, before returning to the World Series with the Vergani Racing team for four races of the 2004 season, in which he did not score any points.

Stock Car Brasil
Rodrigo Sperafico on Pole at Curitiba 2007

During 2004, Sperafico moved back to Brazil to drive in the Stock Car Brasil championship, his single-seater career having effectively ended. Driving a part-season, he finished 25th in the championship. The following year he drove a Chevrolet Astra for the WB Motorsport team, improving to 13th in the standings and taking a podium finish on the way. For 2006 he drove an Astra for JF Racing, and climbed to ninth place overall with three podiums.

For 2007, Sperafico again switched teams to Action Power, who also provided him with a different car, the Volkswagen Bora. He was joined in the series for the first time by Ricardo, who had also moved back to Brazil by this point in his own career. In his strongest season to date, which included three pole positions and two victories, Rodrigo finished runner-up to champion Cacá Bueno. The championship was marred, however, by the death of his cousin Rafael in a Stock Car Light race which supported the final Stock Car Brasil event of the season.[9]

Sperafico moved to a Mitsubishi Lancer run by the Avallone Motorsport in 2008 called Terra Racing team for 2008, but faded to 14th in the championship. He drove a Peugeot 307 for part of the 2009 season, and also competed in the Copa Vicar. He reverted to a Bassani-run Chevrolet Astra for the 2010 season, but could only manage 24th position in the championship after leaving the team after two races, and then missing the next three races before returning to action with the Mico's Racing team.

Racing record

Career summary
Season Series Team Name Races Poles Wins Points Final Placing
1997 British Formula Ford ? ? ? ? 52 9th
1998 Formula Three Sudamericana ? ? ? 0 79 7th
1999 Formula Three Sudamericana Amir Nasr Racing 18 4 2 172 3rd
2000 Italian Formula 3000 Draco Junior Team 8 1 0 22 4th
2001 International Formula 3000 Coloni F3000 9 0 0 0 NC
2002 International Formula 3000 Durango Formula 12 0 1 20 6th
World Series by Nissan Repsol Meycom 8 0 0 12 18th
2004 Stock Car Brasil Katalogo Racing 7 0 0 15 25th
World Series by Nissan Vergani Racing 4 0 0 0 NC
2005 Stock Car Brasil WB Motorsport 12 0 0 57 13th
2006 Stock Car Brasil Neosoro JF Racing 12 0 0 223 9th
2007 Stock Car Brasil Biosintética Action Power 12 3 2 265 2nd
2008 Stock Car Brasil Terra Racing 11 0 0 45 14th
2009 Stock Car Brasil RZ Racing 3 0 0 8 26th
Copa Vicar Carlos Alves Competições 2 1 1 41 12th
2010 Stock Car Brasil RC3 Bassani Racing 2 0 0 24 24th
Mico's Racing 6 0 0

Complete Italian 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 DC Points
2000 Draco Junior Team VLL
2		 MUG
6		 IMO
3		 MNZ
3		 VLL
6		 DON
4		 PER
8		 MIS
4		 4th 22

Complete International Formula 3000 results
Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 DC Points
2001 Coloni F3000 INT
13		 IMO
7		 CAT
22		 A1R
8		 MON
9		 NÜR
12		 MAG
15		 SIL
14		 HOC
8		 HUN SPA MNZ NC 0
2002 Durango Formula INT
1		 IMO
2		 CAT
7		 A1R
12		 MON
Ret		 NÜR
8		 SIL
9		 MAG
8		 HOC
3		 HUN
Ret		 SPA
12		 MNZ
8		 6th 20

Complete Stock Car Brasil results
Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Rank Points
2004 Katálogo Racing Chevrolet Astra CTB INT TAR LON RIO INT
5		 CTB
17		 LON
15		 RIO
21		 BSB
14		 CGD
Ret		 INT
20		 25th 15
2005 WB Motorsport Chevrolet Astra INT
5		 CTB
5		 RIO
12		 INT
Ret		 CTB
Ret		 LON
2		 BSB
5		 SCZ
Ret		 TAR
Ret		 ARG
10		 RIO
Ret		 INT
13		 13th 57
2006 JF Racing Chevrolet Astra INT
3		 CTB
19		 CGD
17		 INT
23		 LON
21		 CTB
2		 SCZ
2		 BSB
6		 TAR
12		 ARG
32		 RIO
11		 INT
17		 9th 223
2007 Biosintetica Action Power Volkswagen Bora INT
10		 CTB
1		 CGD
18		 INT
10		 LON
11		 SCZ
Ret		 CTB
15		 BSB
30		 ARG
6		 TAR
1		 RIO
7		 INT
4		 2nd 265
2008 Terra Avallone Mitsubishi Lancer INT
13		 BSB
3		 CTB
13		 SCZ
19		 CGD
15		 INT
23		 RIO
11		 LON
15		 CTB
DSQ		 BSB
23		 TAR
8		 INT
8		 14th 45
2009 Panasonic Racing Peugeot 307 INT CTB BSB
19		 SCZ
8		 INT SAL
17		 RIO CDG CTB BSB TAR INT 26th 8
2010 RC3 Bassani Peugeot 307 INT
6		 CTB
Ret		 VE RIO RBP 24th 24
Mico's Racing SAL
16		 INT
8		 CGD
10		 LON
Ret		 SCZ
DSQ		 BSB
23		 CTB
EX
2011 JF Racing Peugeot 408 CTB
16		 INT
24		 RBP
22		 VEL
Ret		 CGD
Ret		 RIO
14		 INT
17		 SAL
18		 SCZ
15		 LON
14		 BSB
10		 VEL
7		 21st 19
2012 Prati-Donaduzzi Peugeot 408 INT
16		 CTB
20		 VEL
11		 RBP
15		 LON
21		 RIO
Ret		 SAL
22		 CAS
13		 TAR
29		 CTB
23		 BSB
4		 INT
13		 17th 65
2013 Prati-Donaduzzi Peugeot 408 INT
Ret		 CUR
10		 TAR
14		 SAL
19		 BRA
6		 CAS
21		 RBP
21		 CAS
21		 VEL
13		 CUR
17		 BRA
DSQ		 INT
24		 23rd 57
2014 Vogel Motorsport Chevrolet Sonic INT
1
1		 SCZ
1		 SCZ
2		 BRA
1		 BRA
2		 GOI
1		 GOI
2		 INT
1		 CAS
1		 CAS
2		 CUR
1		 CUR
2		 VEL
1		 VEL
2		 SAL
1		 SAL
2		 CUR
1		 CUR
2		 TAR
1		 TAR
2		 BRA
1		 NC† 0†

† Ineligible for championship points.

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References
  1. "Wilson wins as Brazilians pay penalty". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 2001-03-31. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  2. "Sperafico to test with Arden". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 2001-10-31. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  3. "New-look Formula 3000 looks much the same". grandprix.com. Inside F1. 2001-12-07. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  4. "Sperafico signs after strong Durango test". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 2002-02-23. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  5. "Sperafico signs for European Minardi F3000". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 2002-03-18. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  6. "The invasion of the Sperafici". grandprix.com. Inside F1. 2002-03-31. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  7. "Bourdais wins F3000 at Imola". grandprix.com. Inside F1. 2002-04-14. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  8. Arron, Simon (2002). "F3000 Review: Bourdais' Pot-Luck Title". Autocourse 2002–2003. Hazleton Publishing. pp. 242–245. ISBN 1-903135-10-9.
  9. Schilke, Nancy Knapp (2007-12-09). "Rafael Sperafico dies in Brazilian race". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
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