Rafael Sperafico

Sperafico

Sperafico is the surname of a family of Brazilian racing drivers. Ten members of the family have competed in racing series both worldwide and in Brazil....

(April 22, 1981 – December 9, 2007) was a Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

ian racing driver. He was the cousin of fellow racing drivers Ricardo

Ricardo Sperafico

Ricardo Sperafico is a Brazilian racing driver.-Career:He resides in a family of racers, twin brother of Rodrigo, and with two cousins, Alexandre and the late Rafael. He began his career in Europe and won the Italian Formula 3000 series in 2000, before moving to International F3000 competition...

 and Rodrigo

Rodrigo Sperafico

Rodrigo Sperafico is a Brazilian racing driver. He currently drives in the Stock Car Brasil series. He belongs to the Sperafico family of racing drivers, which includes twin brother Ricardo , along with cousins Alexandre and the late Rafael.-Formula Ford:Sperafico raced in the British Formula...

, and also related to Alexandre

Alex Sperafico

Alexandre Sperafico is a Brazilian driver. He is the oldest of the four racing Speraficos.From 2000 to 2001, and for one start in 2003, Alexandre competed in the Barber Dodge Pro Series and won a race at Sebring on the weekend of the 2001 12 Hours of Sebring. In 2002 he was one of three Speraficos...

. He was born in Toledo, Paraná

Toledo, Paraná

The city of Toledo is located in the Western region of Paraná state, a state located in the south of Brazil.The city is bordered by the following towns/cities:* North: Maripá e Nova Santa Rosa;* South: Santa Tereza do Oeste e São Pedro do Iguaçu;...

.

Barber Dodge

Sperafico competed in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

-based Barber Dodge Pro Series

Barber Dodge Pro Series

The Barber Pro Series was an entry-level open-wheel auto racing series from 1986 to 2003. The races were primarily on road and street courses in North America, although the schedule did sometimes include a few ovals....

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

Euro F3000

Sperafico moved to Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 for 2003 to compete in the Euro Formula 3000

Euro Formula 3000

Auto GP, formerly known as both Euro Formula 3000 and Euroseries 3000, is a European formula racing series.The series' roots can be traced back to 1999, and the Italian Formula 3000 series, organised by Pierluigi Corbari, which used old Lola chassis with Zytek engines. The teams used the Lola...

 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 December 9, 2007, Sperafico was driving in a Stock Car Light race at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace

Autódromo José Carlos Pace

Autódromo José Carlos Pace, also known by its former name Interlagos, is a motor racing circuit located in the city of São Paulo, and named after Carlos Pace, a Brazilian Formula One driver, who had died prior to its naming...

, supporting the season finale of the main Stock Car Brasil

Stock Car Brasil

Stock Car Brasil is a Touring car auto racing series held in Brazil, its first season was in 1979, it's considered the major Brazilian motorsports series...

 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

Side collision

Side collisions are vehicle crashes where the side of one or more vehicles is impacted. These crashes often occur at intersections, in parking lots, when two vehicles pass on a multi-lane roadway, or when a vehicle hits a fixed object....

 by Renato Russo, triggering a pile-up involving several other drivers. The race was stopped and the circuit's medical personnel arrived on the scene quickly, but Sperafico died at the scene 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 December 17.

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 four years later in an almost identical crash at the same corner.