Raul Boesel


Raul de Mesquita Boesel
is a Brazilian former racing driver who raced for the March and Ligier Formula One teams and later raced in Champ Car and the Indy Racing League.
He won the 1987 World Sportscar Championship and the 1988 24 Hours of Daytona.

Personal and early life

Raul Boesel was born on 4 December 1957 in Curitiba, Brazil as the son of Jorny and Elizadea de Mesquita Boesel. Boesel had a brief career in equestrian show jumping winning state championships and other competitions.
He lives in Key Biscayne, Florida with his wife Vera and children Raul Boesel Jr and Gabriela where they have resided since 1988. He owns a Cigarette 38 Top Gun boat.

Career

He studied engineering, gave up his degree and went on to motor racing. He entered into first ever season of the Brazilian Stock Car championship in 1979.
He moved to Britain in 1980 to race in Formula Ford 1600 and in 1981 entered Formula 3 and finished third in the championship. In November 1981 he tested for McLaren and entered the March team, only to switch in 1983 to Ligier. At the end of the year he went to the United States to race in CART.
In 1987 he switched to World Sportscar Championship with Jaguar and won the title with five victories. In 1988 he won the 24 Hours of Daytona in a Jaguar XJR-9, along with Martin Brundle and John Nielsen. That year he also returned to CART and finished third at Indianapolis in 1989. In 1991 he finished second in Le Mans 24 Hours with Jaguar and returned to CART, finishing fifth in the 1993 series, although never winning a race. He raced in CART until 1998, when he went to Indy Racing League. Because of this, he has multiple starts in the Indy 500. His last race in CART was at the 1999 Marlboro 500 at Fontana.
Autódromo Internacional de Curitiba, a racing circuit in Curitiba, is officially nicknamed "Circuito Raul Boesel" in honour of his success in Europe.
Boesel retired his professional racing career in 2005 after returning to Stock Car Brasil though he competes in some races after his retiring.
Afterwards, he often comments about various racing categories. In 2007, he started a career as a disc jockey.

Racing record

Complete Formula One results

YearEntrantChassisEngine12345678910111213141516Pts
1982March Grand Prix TeamMarch 821Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8RSA
15		NC0
1982Rothmans March Grand Prix TeamMarch 821Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8BRA
Ret		USW
9		SMRBEL
8		MON
DNPQ		DET
Ret		CAN
Ret		NED
Ret		GBR
DNQ		FRA
DNQ		GER
Ret		AUT
DNQ		SUI
Ret		ITA
DNQ		CPL
13		NC0
1983Equipe Ligier GitanesLigier JS21Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8BRA
Ret		USW
7		FRA
Ret		SMR
9		MON
Ret		BEL
13		DET
10		CAN
Ret		GBR
Ret		GER
Ret		AUT
DNQ		NED
10		ITA
DNQ		EUR
15		RSA
NC		NC0

American open-wheel racing

CART

Indy Racing League

Indianapolis 500

Complete World Sportscar Championship results

YearEntrantClassChassisEngine1234567891011Pts
1982Dome Co. Ltd.CDome RC82Cosworth DFL 3.3 V8MNZSIL
Ret		NÜRLMSSPAMUGFUJBRHNC0
1987Silk Cut JaguarC1Jaguar XJR-8Jaguar 7.0 V12JAR
3		JER
1		MNZ
Ret		SIL
1		NOR
4		BRH
1		NÜR
1		SPA
1		FUJ
2		1st127
1987Silk Cut JaguarC1Jaguar XJR-8Jaguar 6.9 V12LMS
5		1st127
1988Silk Cut JaguarC1Jaguar XJR-9Jaguar 7.0 V12JERJARMNZSILLMS
Ret		BRNBRHNÜRSPAFUJSANNC0
1990Konrad MotorsportCPorsche 962CPorsche Type-935 3.0 F6tSUZMNZ
Ret		SILSPADIJNÜR
11		DONCGVMEXNC0
1991Silk Cut JaguarC2Jaguar XJR-12Jaguar 7.4 V12SUZMNZSILLMS
2		NÜRMAGMEXAUT21st15

24 Hours of Le Mans results