Gonzalo Rodríguez (racing driver): Wikis

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Gonzalo Rodriguez
Nationality	Uruguayan
Date of birth	January 22, 1972(1972-01-22)
Place of birth	Montevideo, Uruguay
Died	September 11, 1999 (aged 27)
Place of death	Laguna Seca, California
CART Championship Car
Years active	1999
Teams	Penske Racing
Starts	1
Wins	0
Poles	0
Previous series
1997-1999 1996-1997 1994-1996 1993	International Formula 3000 British Formula 3000 British Formula Renault Spanish Formula Renault

Gonzalo "Gonchi" Rodríguez (born January 22, 1972 in Montevideo, Uruguay; died September 11, 1999) was a 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 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca raceway during the practice session for his second CART race, he was fatally injured in a crash. His car went off the track at more than 140 mph and slammed into a concrete barrier at the notorious 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 small layer of tires).