Ernesto Viso Biography
Indy 500 Driver E.J. Viso
Ernesto Viso, also known as E.J. Viso, has quickly made his mark in the new, united IndyCar Series. Venezuela is not renowned for producing motor racing talent but Viso looks like becoming the most successful driver from the small South American country since Johnny Cecotto. In a remarkable career Cecotto competed in both Grand Prix motorcycle racing and Formula 1.
Like Cecotto, Viso was born in Caracas. His real name is Ernesto Jose Viso Lossada but he chose to shorten it for his racing career. Viso had his first taste of the sport in 1992 when he competed in his first kart race. Over the next few years he won numerous regional and national championships before moving to America in 2001.
2001 saw Viso compete in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge series where he was immediately on the pace and named Rookie of the Year. Late in the year he also sampled Formula Renault, competing in the Italian Winter Series. It was enough for him to move to Britain in 2002 and compete in a full season of the Formula Renault UK Championship with the experienced Manor Motorsports team.
Once again Viso used the traditional close season to gain a taste of another series, competing in the British Formula 3 Winter Series. During 2003 he competed in Class-B of the British championship, eventually winning the title at the final round. A move up to the premier class followed in 2004. Driving for the P1 team he scored a victory at Knockhill in Scotland. Viso did not complete the season as he switched to racing in Formula 3000 with the Durango team, recording four points finishes.
2005 was the inaugural year of the GP2 championship and Viso signed to drive with the BCN Competicion team. He managed three podiums but a change of team for 2006 brought more success. Driving for iSport he scored two wins, in San Marino and Spain. At the final race of the Formula 1 season Viso also got to drive for Midland on the Friday of the Brazilian Grand Prix meeting.
Viso’s 2007 GP2 season was interrupted by a monumental accident during a race at the French Grand Prix meeting. After colliding with Michael Ammermüller and Kazuki Nakajima his car became airborne, Viso very nearly striking his head on a concrete wall. The accident once again raised concerns about the wisdom of having unprotected concrete walls lining the Magny-Cours circuit. Marco Campos had been killed at the track on the last lap of the final race of the 1995 Formula 3000 season when he struck his helmet on one of them.
Viso also tested for the Minardi Team USA Champcar team during 2007 and came close to signing a deal with the Toro Rosso Formula 1 team. For 2008 he is racing in the unified Indy Racing Series, driving for HVM. In only his second race he finished in fourth position and has shown signs that he will have little trouble adapting to the ovals which proliferate the championship schedule. Ernesto Viso is definitely a man with the talent to succeed at the highest level.
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