Rubens Barrichelo wins in Sao Paulo, Brazil
As previously noted just because your chosen racing series has completed its season is no reason to lay around and gather dust. Rubens Barrichelo and teammate 2004 IRL champion Tony Kanaan combined to conquer all competition in Brazils’ second most famous racing event, The Granja 500 a charity kart 500-mile endurance test.
They beat an all-star field that included F1’s Juan Pablo Montoya, retired two-time CART champion Gil de Ferran and current IRL star Helio Castroneves. More than 70 teams competed in the event, which began Saturday night and finished Sunday.
The winning team, which also included the IRL’s Dan Wheldon and Felipe Giaffone, needed 644 laps and nearly 11 hours to complete the 500-mile event at the Granja Viana track. De Ferran, who retired after running the 2003 season in the IRL, and Castroneves co-drove the runner-up kart with the IRL’s Vitor Meira.
Montoya’s team, which included F1 driver Antonio Pizzonia, finished 57th. Michael Andretti’s 17-year-old son, Marco, was 69th.
