Gonzalo Rodriguez had barely started his CART career with Penske before it was ended by a fatal accident at Laguna Seca.
Gonzalo Rodriguez, known as ‘Gonchi’ to friends, was a man to watch in the late summer of 1999. Following on from a successful stint in Formula 3000 the young Uruguayan driver had secured a race seat with the famous Penske team in the American CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) championship. Sadly he was destined to compete in only one CART race before his untimely death.
Rodriguez was born in Montevideo on June 22nd, 1972. He was exposed to motor racing from a young age as his father Jorge competed. Rodriguez learned to drive at a very young age but was a relatively old 14 when he started karting. By 17 he had progressed to racing single-seater Formula 4 cars but realised that, to make real progress in his career, Europe was the place to be.
Initially Rodriguez moved to Spain to compete in Formula Ford but before long he relocated to the UK. It was shortly after his arrival in Europe that Rodriguez added a curious addition to his helmet design. One of his less worldly mechanics was under the impression that anyone from Uruguay must be an Indian. An amused Rodriguez decided to add a feather design to his helmet to imitate an Indian headdress. Over the next few years as he progressed through Formula Renault, Formula 3 and Formula 3000 he added an extra feather each time he changed category.
It was in Formula 3000 that Rodriguez scored his most memorable victories. Driving for the Astromega team he won twice in 1998, at the Nurburgring and Spa-Francorchamps. The following year brought a fantastic win at Monaco in the Formula 1 support race.
Rodriguez made his CART debut on August 8th, 1999, at the Grand Prix of Detroit. He had qualified 16th on the demanding street circuit and drove impressively to finish on the same lap as the leader, in 12th position.
Penske gave Rodriguez his next outing at Laguna Seca. The Saturday practice session on September 11th was delayed because of poor visibility but eventually got under way more than two hours late. Rodriguez suffered a brake problem while trying to slow for the notorious Corkscrew turn. The Penske travelled straight on at almost unabated speed before hitting a protective barrier and somersaulting over an advertisement hoarding. The car eventually came to rest upside down and, although medical assistance arrived quickly, Rodriguez had died instantly from a basilar skull fracture.
In his book, ‘Rapid Response’, Dr. Stephen Olvey recalls the aftermath of the accident:
“Roger Penske and I notified the family in Uruguay via cell phone… I felt for them greatly.”
Following his death a foundation was established, named the Foundación Gonzalo “Gonchi” Rodriguez. Its aims are to promote education, health and development. The foundation also ensures that the man it is named after will not be forgotten.
