“Viva, Santi.” “Viva, Uruguay!”A compact but vocal crowd welcomed Santiago Urrutia into Victory Lane at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca following Race 1 of the Allied Building Products Pro Mazda Grand Prix of Monterey.The new Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires champion exited the Team Pelfrey car waving the white...

By Dave LewandowskiPublished: Sep 11, 2015MONTEREY, Calif. – Honoring a countryman will make the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires title-deciding doubleheader weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca complete for Santiago Urrutia.Urrutia, 19, of Uruguay, is wearing a special helmet design as a tribute to Gonzalo Rodriguez, who died...

Santiago Urrutia was barely out of diapers when Gonzalo Rodriguez (LEFT, LAT photo) was killed during CART IndyCar practice at Laguna Seca on Sept. 11, 1999. Rodriguez was riding a wave of momentum after winning races in the European F3000 series, and at 28 years old, the Uruguayan was making...

The racing career of up-and-coming Uruguayan racer Gonzalo Rodriguez was tragically cut short in a crash of his Team Penske IndyCar at Laguna Seca in 1999. Fifteen years later, a new documentary will tell his story.