GT3 Cup: Chapinotti's racing rebirth

Subtitle:Chapinotti Savors Career Revival In Porsche In Adopted Homeland

Few drivers in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin probably savor their opportunity to strap into a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car more than Bruno Chapinotti.

Chapinotti was a rising karting star in the global racing incubator of his native Brazil throughout the early and mid-1990s, with his father, Mauri, serving as his manager, mechanic and business manager. Bruno Chapinotti won championships while racing against – and beating – future elite open-wheel stars such as Felipe Massa, Bruno Senna, Nelson Piquet Jr., Cristiano da Matta, Antonio Pizzonia and Raphael Matos.

Then Chapinotti’s world – and racing career – entered a tragic tailspin when his father was killed in a traffic accident in 1996 while returning home after working late in the shop on Bruno’s kart.

Chapinotti, then 15, continued to race for a couple of years after his father died. But his promising career quickly fizzled without his racing compass.

“My dad was everything,” Chapinotti said. “He was the business man, he was the manager, he was the engineer, he was the support, and he was the dad.”

But Chapinotti never lost his passion for racing, even after migrating from his homeland to the United States and then settling in Canada, where he met the woman who became his wife. After returning to the sport last season in a Canadian F1600 open-wheel series, the newest step in his racing rebirth is taking place this season in sports cars through the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin.

Toronto resident Chapinotti, 34, already is making the most of his move to sports cars. He won the Gold Cup class in his first start in the series, Round 2 on May 17 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) in a SpeedStar Motorsports entry. He missed Round 1 on May 16 due to damage sustained in a practice crash.

“You can teach anything, but you can’t teach what’s in your heart, the passion,” Chapinotti said. “I always had the passion.

“When I quit, it was very hard, but I said I am coming back. That was inside of me. I am coming back, and I will come back stronger. I think every race car driver has a challenge with sponsorship and funds, and that was the hard part for me, not having my dad on my side. He was everything.”

Chapinotti returned to school in Brazil after he quit racing and earned a degree in structural engineering. He never stopped dreaming of racing. Spurred by the Champ Car success in America of close friend, da Matta, Chapinotti decided to move to the United States in 2000 to pursue racing after finishing his studies.

He was close to landing an entry-level Barber Dodge ride, but the financial side of the deal didn’t materialize.

So Chapinotti continued to try to stay sharp by karting, even jumping in a few random races in Florida. He also found work as a structural engineer in Boston.

A trip brought Chapinotti to Nova Scotia, and he was surprised to hear a young woman speaking Portuguese among the French and English speakers. He introduced himself to the woman named Thamyris, who moved to Canada as a child from her native Brazil, and they stayed in touch.

Chapinotti and Thamyris eventually fell in love and married, settling in Thamyris’ adopted hometown of Toronto in 2005. Chapinotti continued his engineering career in the construction industry in burgeoning, bustling Toronto, which helped him make sponsorship connections that helped fund his return to racing.

“I learned during that 15 years (away from racing),” Chapinotti said. “I grew. I finished school. I learned how to communicate with people, and I was able to meet a lot of business people, and now I say I’m coming back. Now I’m ready. That’s what I’ve done.”

His return to racing occurred in 2014 when he drove for BGR Team Grote in the F1600 series in Canada. It was an interesting choice for a driver with Chapinotti’s pedigree, as the 1.6-liter open-wheel cars often are one of the first training grounds for teen drivers making the transition from karts to cars.

“When I started racing F1600 last year, a lot of friends in Brazil couldn’t believe it because I did a test for Formula BMW, I ran Formula Ford in Brazil,” Chapinotti said. “They said: ‘Man, why are you going back to 1600? 1.6 liter? That’s for kids.’ Actually, I got a lot of respect from the team manager saying that was the right call, and I think it was the right call for me at that time because it was 15 years away from racing as a professional. So I don’t want to start at the top. I want to slowly come back.”

Chapinotti took the same methodical approach this season when he decided to compete in a racing machine with fenders for the first time.

At first, Chapinotti thought the next logical step in his career renaissance was a climb to either the USF2000 or Pro Mazda open-wheel series. But two associates steered Chapinotti toward sports cars, saying the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin would be a perfect fit.

Chapinotti decided to start in the Gold Cup class instead of the Platinum Cup because he wanted to work his way up through the series.

It didn’t take long for Chapinotti to realize his decision to compete in the series, and in a Gold Cup car, were two masterstrokes. He was on the pace almost immediately in his first two tests.

“I was a little bit scared because I had never driven a closed-wheel car before,” Chapinotti said. “It was a big challenge for me, and I love challenges. So we went pretty quick in the first test, and in the second test, we were already right there with the time from last year. So I feel comfortable in the car, and I think it was a great call.”

His quick adaptation to a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car – and the victory at CTMP – have sharpened Chapinotti’s focus on winning the Gold Cup championship. He is fourth in the standings after missing Round 1, but is confident that gap can be bridged.

And regardless of his results, Chapinotti is a far different driver – and person – during his second act than as a teen karting star.

“I’m much more mature now,” he said. “I much more understand the financial side, what the sponsors expect from me, how I have to represent myself. When I get into a car, I appreciate it much more.

“When I was a teenager, I couldn’t care if I was crashing a car or if they have to replace the whole brakes or whatever. I appreciate it much more being out there. I know every step involved behind me. That’s a big difference from before.”

Rounds 3 and 4 of the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin will take place June 12-14 during the Honda Indy Toronto on the streets of Toronto. Both races are 45 minutes.

Source: IMSA