- Angelo Barretto
Angelo Barretto (born
September 29 ,1969 ) is a Filipino race car driver. He is best known for his surprisingly successful performance in his European debut, participating in the 1999 Group N class of the European Sportscar Endurance Championship. In this series, he drove a BMW M3 with team mate Matthew Marsh.It was in this series that he took the chequered flag at
Spa-Francorchamps of Belgium, one of the most acknowledged tracks in the world. He has proven his ability to perform well as part of a team, proof of his and Matthew's slimly-missed bid for the Rookie Championship of that year. And he is also acknowledged as a solo substantial force as proven by his single-handed win at Misano in Italy --never mind he had never driven or visited the track previous to winning the event.This ability to immediately perform well at unfamiliar racetracks is widely acknowledged due to his performance in 1999, affirmed by the Sport Pokal trophy awarded to him by BMW that year.
Angelo has participated in various other series since, including the Le Mans Classic held at the
Circuit de la Sarthe of which his team won the Inaugural event, various FIA GT events, the Guia Race of theMacau Grand Prix , and the ALMS series in America.It is notable that Angelo Barretto, together with Perspective Racing team mates Thierry Perrier, Joao Barbosa, and Michel Neugarten, were such a recognised presence in the FIA GT series that Moby Games, manufacturers of console and PC games, included their Mosler MT900 car (car number 104) in their 2004 release of the PC-based game, GTR. Displayed prominently along the pillar and roof rim are the drivers' names and even the logo of their Philippine telecom supporter, PLDT, is emblazoned across the bonnet of the car.
To this day and despite lack of Government support, Angelo Barretto continues to contribute to the growth and development of the Philippines motorsport industry.
External links
* [http://www.mobygames.com/game/gtr-fia-gt-racing-game Moby Games' 2004 release of PC-based GTR] .
* [http://www.fiagt.com/driverinfo.php?drivername=Angelo+Barretto] Angelo Barretto driver profile on the FIA GT website] .
* [http://www.herword.com/spotlight/barretto10.21.03.html Interview by Kym A. Sanchez] .
* [http://www.manilasportscarclub.org/news/members-angelo.html Feature on Angelo Barretto's win at the Le Mans Classic. Racetrack/on race-site photos by Alexandra Cornish]
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