A Racing Icon Is Dead at 56

Gil de Ferran was racing with his son in Florida when he suffered a heart attack
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 30, 2023 5:55 AM CST
Updated Dec 30, 2023 6:31 AM CST
Indy 500 Winner Dies During a Day Racing With His Son
Car owner Roger Penske, left, and Tim Cindric, right, president of Penske Racing, clasp hands with Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran, of Brazil, on May 25, 2003, in Indianapolis.   (AP Photo/Tom Strattman, File)

A car racing icon is dead at 56 after a day spent racing with his son at a private motorsports club, colleagues say. Fellow drivers tell the AP that Gil de Ferran, a Brazilian driver, was with his son at the Concourse Club in Opa-Locka, Florida, when he pulled over the car he was driving and said he felt unwell. He ultimately lost consciousness and could not be revived; the Brazilian Motorsports Confederation later confirmed he suffered a fatal heart attack. De Ferran won the Indianapolis 500 in 2003 for Roger Penske, and set a closed-course land speed record in 2000 that remains standing today. Many in the world of racing were mourning the loss of de Ferran, who had multiple other titles and wins to his name and who was currently working as a consultant for McLaren's Formula One team, the Indianapolis Star reports.

"We are terribly saddened to hear about today's tragic passing of Gil de Ferran. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Angela, Anna, Luke and the entire de Ferran family," Roger Penske said in a statement. "Gil defined class as a driver and as a gentleman. As an IndyCar Champion and an Indianapolis 500 winner, Gil accomplished so much during his career, both on and off the track." Says the president of the Brazilian Motorsports Confederation, "Gil de Ferran shone in Brazilian and foreign tracks, having as highlights his English Formula 3 title, his two IndyCar championships, and the victory at Indy 500 in 2003. In my name and in the name of our confederation, we pray to God so He welcomes our brother in all glory and comforts his family, friends and millions of fans all over the world."

(More Gil de Ferran stories.)

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