Achievements
2007
Despite being taken out of the lead with motor problems several times during the 2007 season, Negri showed no lack of pace from the start of the season to the very last lap.
Negri set an unofficial track record in the final practice session before qualifying for the 2007 Rolex 24 At Daytona, but a brief rainstorm before the session kept him from making it official.
Despite a frustrating season—even a fine podium at one of the continent’s greatest driver tracks, Laguna Seca, was hampered by a late race caution that kept the fuel-starved cars ahead of Negri in the game and into the winner’s circle—Negri kept his speed and his spirits high.
In a category that regularly features high-impact passing, Negri kept his nose clean to take eleven top-10 finishes, with four top-6 results.
Negri kept pace through the final laps of the season. Despite needing five pit stops to replace batteries af ter a recurring alternator problem, Negri was still within two seconds of a podium as the seven-hour race neared the end. But one last battery-changing pit stop was the gut-punch of the race, forcing “Ozz” to take tenth in the race that he’d won the season before, and had the speed to do so again.
2006
After opening up his 2006 season with a second place finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona with Co-Drivers A.J. Allmendinger, Justin Wilson, and Mark Patterson, Negri broke through with his first Rolex win in the season-ending Discount Tire Sunchaser 9-Hour at Miller co-driving with Mark Patterson.
7 Top 6
10 Top 10
1 victory
2005
Negri puts his skills as an industry-leading driver coach as well as being a lightning quick driver with a record setting pole position as well as four top tens in six races with series rookie Mark Patterson. The two scored a podium result at the famed Watkins Glen International in just their fourth race together.
Negri did six of the Rolex Series twelve races getting a pole position at Laguna Seca on his first race with Mark Patterson.
4 top 10
1 Pole Position
2 Top 5
2004
Oswaldo
Negri breaks out in 2004 Grand Am competition.
When Oswaldo Negri of Miami joined the Michael Shank Racing squad
for the second race of the 2004 Rolex Sports Car season, few had heard
of the Brazilian ace, but by the end of the season, he was the talk
of the paddock, having made the most out of his opportunity and showing
he could do more with less in his first full season of Rolex competition.
Negri, who took championships in his native Brazil and moved to England
to race against guys with names like Barrichello, Coulthard, and de
Ferran, brought speed experience in the Daytona Prototype to the team,
having contested a limited schedule of races in 2003. He also brought
a wealth of experience developing race cars, as his time in F3 and
Indy Lights had led to him being tapped by Barber Dodge and Formula
BMW to develop their cars as a test driver.
Eager to show they were well-placed in the category, and working to
make the most of the opportunity, Negri and Frisselle scored a coup
in just their second race, hustling their way to third place in qualifying
and backing that up with a scrappy run to third in the race behind
a Michael Shank Racing crew that was adapting quickly to the special
challenge of pit stops in sprint-format endurance racing.
The next race in Phoenix didn’t deliver the fortune the team
had been hoping for, as the team was again quick in qualifying, taking
third on the grid, but suffered from contact with another car, which
damaged the right rear suspension and prevented the tire from being
changed during the subsequent pit stop, and the team had to settle
for sixth place.
The MSR crew regrouped for the Mt. Tremblant round, held in the beautiful
mountain region north of Montreal, where the team was again quick
in qualifying but suffered during the seasons first six-hour event
when Frisselle was knocked clear of the track when another competitor
made an overly adventurous move to pass, taking the team out of contention
for a top-five finish.
The Glen brought a similar result, with the team once again getting
knocked out of contention when a competitor made an ill-advised attempt
at a pass, and again thwarted a potential podium finish with the damage
in the six-hour enduro.
The Daytona round saw Negri and Frisselle show strength in the late
night race, leaping up to second at the start and running in the lead
pack all night until the teams final pit stop, where a balky air gun
left the 6 car sitting still just long enough to fall off the lead
lap, despite the teams best efforts.
A return to Watkins Glen bought better fortunes for Negri, as the
team scored their second podium finish of the season after Negri and
Frisselle kept their cool in wet conditions, and chased Formula 1
refugee Jan Magnessen to the line for a second place finish, the teams
best of the season.
A late summer visit to a sweltering Homestead Miami Speedway, site
of Negri’s first podium finish earlier in the season, saw the
Brazilian soak up the heat and take on the competition, staging a
late race rally to score yet another top-five finish.
The Rolex Sports Car Series moved north to the beautiful natural terrain
Virginia International Raceway, where Negri was able to score yet
another top-three qualifying position, despite being down on power
on the long straightways. The race ended poorly for the team, though,
as contact from another car put paid to Negri’s chance to convert
the strong qualifying position into a good finish again.
The Rolex season finale, staged at the California Speedway in Fontana,
saw Negri qualify seventh in the rapidly expanding Daytona Prototype
field, and convert that into a seventh place finish to end the season
with another top-ten result. While it wasn’t how the team hoped
to finish the season, it was another strong showing as the team had
shown what they could do with the Doran chassis and Lexus power against
the Pontiac-Riley juggernaut.
After the season ended, Negri was named as the “Grand American
Daytona Prototype Rising Star” in a survey of Grand American
teams and officials, as well as a panel of media members. Negri shared
the award with Max Angelelli, who also had a stand out 2004 season.
Negri co-drove the Lexus-powered Doran with young Burt Frisselle,
and the driver pairing proved potent, netting two podium finishes
during the season and taking the MSR car to sixth in the team championship.
“I am quite honored to have been named for this award,”
said Negri. “This season was one of my best ever. Even though
it was our first season in the series going against some bigger teams,
we always had a competitive chance, and it was very rewarding. I have
to thank the Frisselles and whole Michael Shank Racing team for the
faith that they showed in me, and all the hard work that they do,
because if they hadn’t done such a good job all season, Burt
and I would have never been able to show our speed.”
2003
R&D
driver for the Barber Dodge Pro-series. Driving for the Team Cegwa
Racing Finish 4th in the Daytona Rolex 24 Hours with the Toyota-Fabcar
Prototype. Driving for the Inline Cunningham Racing, a 3rd place finish
at Fontana in the GTS Grand-Am category, a 4th place finish at Mid-Ohio
in the GT Grand-Am category. First race in the ALMAS GT class with
a 10th place finish at Sears Point, a fifth place finish at Trois
Rivieres, retired when running 6th at Laguna Seca and a 12th place
finish at the Pettit Le Man after spending over an hour in the pits.
2002
R&D driver for the Barber Dodge Pro-Series. Competed for the first
time in the Sebring 12 Hours with JMB Racing, an official Ferrari
Team, finishing 11th. Participated for the second time in the 500
Miles Of Granja Viana.
2001
R&D driver for the Barber Dodge Pro-Series. Competed in the 500
Miles Of Granja Viana.
2000
R&D driver for the Barber Dodge Pro-Series. Third in the Pan-American
Indy Lights Championship. Two wins, one second place, one third place.
Three pole positions and three lap records. With reliability problems,
those were the only four races Negri finished that season.
1999
R&D
driver for the Barber Dodge Pro-Series. Runner up of the Pan-American
Indy Lights Championship. Four podium finishes in five rounds, with
wins in Guadalajara and Aguascalientes. A seventh place finish at
the second round of the US Indy Lights Championship at Long Beach.
1998
Pan-American
Indy Lights Champion, winning three races, three second places, one
seventh, four pole positions, three fastest laps and a lap record.
1997
In the
PPG Indy Lights Championship, Negri competed in seven races, qualifying
three times in the top three, with one fastest lap at Portland.
1996
Third
place in the International Formula 3 Championship, finishing five
out of ten races, with one victory, three second places and one fourth
place. Negri lead eight of the ten races, and posted two fastest laps.
1995
Competed in the International Formula 3 Championship finishing four
out of ten races. One victory, two seconds and one fifth place.
1994
Third place in the International Formula 3 Championship with one victory,
four second places, a fourth and a fifth place.
1993
Without sponsorship, Negri was invited to do the last three races
of the International Formula 3 Championship, winning on his debut
with fastest lap and lap record.
1992
Third place in the British Formula 3 Championship, with one victory,
four pole positions and two lap records.
1991
Back in British Formula 3 Championship, Negri was invited to develop
the BC1, (Bowman's racing built chassis) qualifying on the front row
three times, finishing on the podium four times.
1990
Brazilian and South American Formula 3 Champion. Won six out of eight
races, seven lap records.
1987
- 1989
With lack of financial support, Negri did very limited
races in the British Formula 3 Championship. Obtained fastest lap
on his race debut at Brands Hatch.
1986
Rookie year in the Brazilian Formula Ford, Negri obtained three victories,
three pole positions and five lap records. Was selected as driver
of the year.
1973
- 1985
Started racing at 9 years old, winning the Brazilian
and São Paulo Formula Championships. Moving on to Go Karts,
Negri won the Brazilian Championship four times. Champion of the Rio-São
Paulo and Paulista Championships.
Languages: Portuguese, English and Spanish.
Hobbies: Waterski, karting, reading, music and hanging with friends.
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