Juan Manuel Silva
Juan Manuel Silva | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 12, 1972 Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina |
| Other names | el Pato ("the Duck") |
| Occupation | Professional race car driver |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Known for | TC 2000 champion (1999), Turismo Carretera champion (2005) |
Juan Manuel Silva (born October 12, 1972, in Resistencia, Chaco), known by the nickname el Pato ("the Duck"), is a professional Argentine race car driver. He secured the TC 2000 title in 1999 and later claimed the Turismo Carretera championship in 2005.
Biography
During Silva’s formative years, his father constructed race cars to aid his development in motorsports. As a teenager, Silva achieved victories in two consecutive annual karting tournaments (1986 and 1987). Over the course of his career, he earned three significant championships spaced over twelve years: the Argentine Formula Renault crown in 1993, the TC 2000 championship in 1999, and the Turismo Carretera title in 2005.
Silva initially competed in Argentine Formula Renault before advancing to the TC2000 circuit. Throughout part of the 1990s, he raced professionally in Japan, after which he returned to Argentina to participate in both TC 2000 and Turismo Carretera starting from 1998.
In the late 2000s, Silva was a driver for Honda’s factory team in TC2000, where he finished as runner-up twice (2006 and 2009), placed third in 2008, and ranked seventh in 2007. He transitioned to Renault in 2010 but ended the season in 15th place overall. The following year, he joined Ford’s championship-winning team. Additionally, Silva has taken part in several editions of the Dakar Rally since 2011.