rpm.espn.com: Felipe Giaffone

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Thursday, December 6

Felipe Giaffone
By Jack Arute
ESPN.com

Team: Mo Nunn Racing
Nationality: Brazil

STATS

Year
Rank
Wins
Poles
Top 5
Top 10
Money
Best finish

2001 6 0 0 3 10 $789,825 2nd, Texas

Career 0 0 3 10 $789,825 2nd, Texas

Felipe Giaffone
Giaffone

2001 Recap
The Good: Giaffone made the chase for the IRL Rookie of the Year title a laugher. The 26-year-old native of Sao Palo, Brazil was equally at home on the short ovals and the high speed mile-and-a-half tracks. He belied his rookie status by leading five different races.

Season Highlight: In the June's Casino Magic 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, Giaffone drafted his way to a solid second place behind winner Scott Sharp.

The Bad: Engine woes halted Giaffone's last two outings including Chicagoland where he led 34 laps before his engine quit just two laps shy of the 200 lap distance.

Season Lowlight: Giaffone qualified on the first week of time trials for his first Indianapolis 500 only to be bumped the following weekend. He was added to the race only after a last minute withdrawal of Treadway teammate Raul Boesel.

Key Stat: Giaffone finished in the top 10 of the first eight races of the season.

2002 Outlook
What needs to be done:: Giaffone switches to an entry prepared by Hollywood Mo Nunn Racing, competing in the Indy Racing League for the first time in 2002. The former CART owner and engineering guru during Alex Zanardi's CART Championship runs will see his first time effort greatly aided by Giaafone. Already the two have produced results -- clocking the fastest practice speeds at Homestead-Miami Speedway in December.

Prediction: Giaffone's personality closely resembles Zanardi's which should make the Nunn/Giaffone marriage a successful one. His testing feedback will provide the team with valuable data from which to develop a solid base set up for every event. Nunn's tactical experience will help race day decision making. This driver will not suffer a sophomore slump. Instead he will win at least one race in 2002.

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