Felipe Giaffone


Felipe Giaffone 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".
Since 2007, Giaffone has raced in the Fórmula Truck, the Brazilian racing truck series. He won the championship four times in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2016, and was runner-up in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

Racing record

American Open Wheel racing results

Indy Lights

IndyCar Series

IndyCar Series career summary

Indianapolis 500

Fórmula Truck

YearTeam12345678910RankPoints
2005RAM-ScaniaCAR
NP		GOI
5		SAO
Ret		GUA
NP		LON
7		CAM
C		CUR
2		TAR
8		BSB
Ret		14º25
2007RMC-VolkswagenCAS
7		TAR
5		SAO
1		FOR
1		CAR
1		GOI
Ret		CUR
1		CAM
2		BSB
5		1º156
2008RMC-VolkswagenGUA
6		GOI
4		CAR
1		FOR
Ret		SAO
7		LON
3		CAM
3		CUR
Ret		TAR
2		BSB
Ret		4º120
2009RMC-VolkswagenGUA
1		FOR
4		CAR
1		GOI
Ret		SAO
Ret		LON
1		ARG
1		SCZ
4		CUR
Ret		BSB
4		1º169
2010RMC-VolkswagenGUA
1		RIO
5		CAR
2		CAM
3		SAO
4		LON
3		ARG
2		VEL
Ret		CUR
2		BSB
4		2º176
2011RMC-VolkswagenSCZ
1		RIO
Ret		CAR
1		GOI
19		SAO
1		LON
1		ARG
10		GUA
2		CUR
11		BSB
1		1º188
2012RMC-VolkswagenVEL
2		RIO
7		CAR
Ret		GOI
Ret		SAO
8		CAS
2		ARG
1		GUA
3		CUR
3		BSB
4		2º154
2013RMC-MAN SETAR
Ret		LON
18		CAR
Ret		GOI
Ret		SAO
13		CAS
1		ARG
2		GUA
2		CUR
1		BSB
Ret		4º114
2014RMC-MAN SECAR
11		CUR
3		SAO
2		BSB
2		CAS
5		SCZ
4		ARG
2		GUA
2		LON
1		GOI
Ret		2º184

Family

The Giaffone family has had great involvement in motorsport.