Rafael Sperafico (22 April 1981 – 9 December 2007) was a Brazilian racing driver. He was the cousin of fellow racing drivers

Ricardo Ricardo is the Spanish and Portuguese cognate of the name Richard. It derived from Proto-Germanic ''*rīks'' 'king, ruler' + ''*harduz'' 'hard, brave'. It may be a given name, or a surname. People Given name * Ricardo de Araújo Pereira (born ...

and

Rodrigo Rodrigo () is a Spanish, Portuguese and Italian name derived from the Germanic name ''Roderick'' ( Gothic ''*Hroþareiks'', via Latinized ''Rodericus'' or ''Rudericus''), given specifically in reference to either King Roderic (d. 712), the la ...

, and also related to Alexandre. He was born in

Toledo, Paraná Toledo is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Paraná. It is located in the western region of the state, near Cascavel. As of 2021, its population is 142,645 inhabitants. The road distance to the state capital is 540 km. History To ...

Career

Barber Dodge

Sperafico competed in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

-based

Barber Dodge Pro Series The Barber Dodge Pro Series was an American open-wheel auto racing series promoted by the Skip Barber Racing School from 1986 to 2003. It was one of the first professional spec series for open-wheel racecars in North America. The races were prima ...

from 2000 to 2002, finishing as championship runner-up in his final year.

Euro F3000

Sperafico moved to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

for 2003 to compete in the

Euro Formula 3000 Auto GP, sometimes referred to as the Auto GP World Series and formerly known as both Euro Formula 3000 and the Euroseries 3000, was a European formula racing series. The series' roots can be traced back to 1999 and the Italian Formula 3000 serie ...

series, where he finished 15th in the championship with two points. He thus followed in the footsteps of his relatives Ricardo, Rodrigo and Alexandre, who had all previously competed in the FIA International version of the series.

Renault Clio Cup

In 2006, Sperafico took part in the Renault Super Clio Cup Brazil, finishing fourth in the championship.

Death

On 9 December 2007, Sperafico was driving in a ''Stock Car Light'' race at the

Autódromo José Carlos Pace The Autódromo José Carlos Pace, better known as Autódromo de Interlagos or simply Interlagos, is a motorsport race track, circuit located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. It was inaugurated on 12 May 1940, by the federal intervener of the S ...

, supporting the season finale of the main

Stock Car Brasil The BRB Stock Car Pro Series, formerly known as Stock Car Brasil, is a touring car racing, touring car auto racing series based in Brazil organized by Vicar. It is considered the major Brazilian and South American motorsports series. Starting in ...

championship in which his older cousins Ricardo and Rodrigo were both competing. On lap six of the race, Sperafico lost control of his car on the fast left-hand corner immediately before the start-finish straight (''Subida dos Boxes'') and speared into the retaining wall on the right-hand side of the circuit at high speed. The force of the impact saw the damaged car rebound onto the racing line, where it was t-boned by

Renato Russo Renato Russo (born Renato Manfredini, Jr., March 27, 1960 – October 11, 1996) was a Brazilian musician who was the lead singer of the pop rock band Legião Urbana. A Brazilian film depicting his life and career was released in 2013, called ...

, triggering a pile-up involving several other drivers. The race was stopped and the circuit's medical personnel quickly arrived at the scene, where Sperafico died from massive head injuries. Russo also suffered severe head injuries and was taken to hospital, where he was in a serious but stable condition. Several other drivers were treated for minor injuries. Russo was released from hospital on 17 December. On the same day, Sperafico's cousin, Rodrigo, became runner-up of the 2007 Stock Car Brasil Championship. Gustavo Sondermann, Rafael Sperafico's team-mate at the time, was killed a few years later in an almost identical crash at the same corner.

Complete motorsports results

American Open-Wheel racing results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in ''italics'' indicate fastest race lap)

Barber Dodge Pro Series

Complete Euro Formula 3000 results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sperafico, Rafael 1981 births 2007 deaths Racing drivers who died while racing Brazilian racing drivers Auto GP drivers Sport deaths in Brazil Sportspeople from Toledo, Paraná Racing drivers from Paraná (state) Barber Pro Series drivers Rafael Filmed deaths in motorsport Brazilian people of Italian descent