Pablo Donoso
Pablo Donoso Prado | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 3, 1984 Santiago, Chile |
| Occupation | Professional race car driver (retired) |
| Years active | 1994–2009 |
Pablo Donoso Prado (born December 3, 1984) is a retired Chilean professional race car driver. Beginning his motorsport journey at the age of nine, he later competed in the Firestone Indy Lights Series and successfully completed the Rookie Test for the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series on February 29, 2008, held at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Career
Donoso’s racing career commenced in 1994 with karting, inspired by his father Jorge Donoso, who was also a race driver from Chile. From 1994 through 1999, he participated in karting competitions across Chile and Argentina, accumulating 18 victories, 32 podium finishes, two times as runner-up, and capturing the championship title in 1996.
Development in Argentina
Advancing to Argentina’s notable Fórmula Renault series until 2002, Donoso became only the second Chilean since Eliseo Salazar in 1978 to claim a win on Argentine soil. That season, he battled for the championship against Juan Cruz Alvarez and ultimately secured second place overall.
Europe
Subsequently, Donoso competed in European Formula BMW Junior, where he achieved four victories, two pole positions, and four podiums—equalling Salazar’s distinction as the second Chilean to triumph in a European race since 1980. In 2003, supported by Chilean beer brand Cristal and manager Cristián Mackenna, he joined Vergani Racing for the World Series Light by Nissan, earning a win at EuroSpeedway Lausitz.
In 2004, he progressed to the World Series by Nissan, partnering with former Formula One driver Enrique Bernoldi. However, financial limitations compelled him to withdraw midway through the season despite competing at this elevated level.
Early career in the United States
After completing his contract with Mackenna in 2004, Donoso collaborated with Eliseo Salazar to transition his career to the United States. Prioritizing an affordable series with standardized cars, he entered the Star Mazda Series in 2005. Driving for Andersen Walko Racing, he faced competitors such as Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal, and Raphael Matos.
He claimed a victory at Infineon Raceway from pole position—his only win that year—alongside several podium finishes.
In a move that sparked debate in Chile, Donoso joined the USAC Silver Crown Series in 2006, one of the longest-standing American open-wheel competitions. He regarded this as a pathway toward premier series like NASCAR or IndyCar, despite financial hurdles and alternative options like the Infiniti Pro Series or Champ Car Atlantic Series potentially aligning more closely with his ambitions.
USAC career
Competing in formula-style cars for Vance Racing under owner Johnny Vance, Donoso showed early promise during the 2006 season but encountered mechanical difficulties. Although criticized domestically, specialists in oval racing recognized his innate talent for managing these distinctive vehicles.
Hemelgarn Racing enlisted him for two events during the 2006 USAC Silver Crown season, where he secured two runner-up finishes at Iowa Speedway and Kansas Speedway.
IndyCar Series test and Indy Lights ride
In 2007, aiming to advance toward IndyCar’s premier division, Donoso signed with renowned team A. J. Foyt Enterprises, racing alongside Tracy Hines. On March 29, he passed the IndyCar rookie test at Homestead Miami Speedway, driving Darren Manning’s car under supervision from Johnny Rutherford. Foyt announced intentions to field him as a second driver for the 2008 IndyCar season; however, Donoso began that year competing in the Firestone Indy Lights Series with SWE Racing over four races.
He was not chosen for the Indianapolis 500, with the seat awarded to Jeff Simmons. Continuing in Indy Lights with Team Moore Racing starting at the Freedom 100, he earned his first pole position at the Milwaukee Mile. He achieved his inaugural podium by finishing third in a shortened second Mid Ohio 100 race behind winner James Davison. After departing Team Moore, he raced briefly for Brian Stewart Racing before rejoining Team Moore at Infineon Raceway, where he captured his first series victory starting from pole due to race inversion.
In 2009, Donoso re-signed with Brian Stewart Racing but switched teams multiple times: moving to Genoa Racing for the Freedom 100, then Team PBIR for Milwaukee, and ultimately joining RLR-Andersen Racing at Iowa Speedway. He continued part-time with RLR-Andersen through August at Kentucky Speedway, marking his final appearance in Indy Lights competition.
Indy Lights
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | SWE Racing | HMS 21 |
STP1 14 |
STP2 17 |
KAN 12 |
8th | 358 | ||||||||||||
| Team Moore Racing | INDY 19 |
MIL 7 |
IOW 5 |
WGL1 5 |
WGL2 5 |
NSH 10 |
MOH1 10 |
MOH2 3 |
SNM1 8 |
SNM2 1 |
CHI 13 | ||||||||
| Brian Stewart Racing | KTY 22 |
||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Brian Stewart Racing | STP 1 14 |
STP 2 26 |
LBH 11 |
KAN 19 |
19th | 147 | ||||||||||||
| Genoa Racing | INDY 9 |
||||||||||||||||||
| Team PBIR | MIL 11 |
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| RLR Andersen Racing | style="background:#CFCFFF;" |IOW < small >12 < / small > |
style = "background: #CFEAFF ;" | WGL < br > < small >8 < / small > | TOR | EDM | style = "background: #CFCFFF ;" | KTY < br > < small >16 < / small > | MOH | SNM | CHI | HMS |
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1984 births
- Chilean racing drivers
- Indy Lights drivers
- Living people
- Indy Pro 2000 Championship drivers
- Sportspeople from Santiago, Chile
- Formula Renault Argentina drivers
- USAC Silver Crown Series drivers
- Team Moore Racing drivers
- A. J. Foyt Enterprises drivers
- Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing drivers