Domingos Papaleo

11/4/1937 - 29/1/2015

Record updated 11-Apr-17

Domingos Papaleo raced sportscars, Mecanica Nacional, Turismo and Formula VW. Initially racing a Ferrari Testarossa and a Stanguelini Fiat, he aquired a Maserati into which he installed a Corvette engine.

Domingos Papaleo was born in the Bela Vista (Bexiga) neighbourhood of São Paulo (Brazil). The first son of Biagio Papaleo, a mechanic of Italian heritage, Domingos went to work for his father. He enjoyed working with cars and went to work in the one of the local Ford dealerships. In 1962 he opened his own Ford dealership in Bexiga.

He married in 1960 at the age of 23 and started racing in that year at the wheel of a Volvo. Domingo's brother, Nicola, was involved in sportscars and supported his brother's racing career. He helped him to gain more racing experience. He racing became more serious in 1965 just as Nicola was winding down his own driving. Domingos bought a Ferrari Testarossa from Alberto Carrara which he raced twice before he dold it to buy, with Salvador Cianciaruso, a Fiat Stanguellini 1300cc from Luciano Bonini. Three races later he sold it and bought a Maserati 300S. He also bought a Maserati chassis from Antonio Versa which he put a Corvette engine into. It was quite common in both North and South America to swap out the Italian engines with Detroit muscle.

He was very good at setting up his own cars in the different classes he raced in: Sportscar, "Mec.Nacional", "Turismo" and Formula VW.

In 1975, both he and his brother shared the driving, the only time they ever did this, together with Uribrando Silveira, in the "25 Hours of Interlagos" endurance race finishing 9th in the "Turismo over 3000cc" class and, just for fun, Domingos drove a couple of races in the Formula VW1300 the following year.

After a 15-year career, he retired from racing to concentrate on his car dealership business at hometown São Paulo where he still works today.

• 10/10/1965 - I Festival Interclubes - Interlagos/SP - Ferrari Testarossa - 4th overall and 4th in class
• 31/10/1965 - VIII 500 Kilometers of Interlagos/SP - Ferrari Testarossa - 1.995cc - 15th overall 4th in class.
• 19/11/1966 - VIII Mil Milhas - Interlagos/SP - With Salvador Ciancaruso - Stanguelini Fiat - DNF
• 19/03/1967 - IV 12 Hours of Interlagos/SP - With Salvador Ciancaruso - Stanguelini Fiat - 18th overall and 4th in class.
• 03/12/1967 - IX A thousand Brazilian Miles - Interlagos/SP - With Salvador Ciancaruso - Stanguelini Fiat - 20th overall and 11th in class.
• 08/03/1970 - II 1500 Kilometers of Interlagos/SP - With Salvador Ciancaruso - Maserati 300S - DNF
• 21/03/1971 - V 12 Hours of Interlagos/SP - With Salvador Ciancaruso - Maserati 300S - DNF
• 07/09/1971 - XI 500 Kilometers of Interlagos/SP - With Salvador Ciancaruso - Maserati 300S - DNF
• 30/01/1972 - Festival of Records Air base of Cumbica/SP - Maserati/Corvette nth 95 - 4.500cc - 7th overall and 3th in class.
• 13/12/1975 - 25 Hours of Interlagos/SP - With Nicola Papaleo/Uribrando Silveira - Ford Maverick nth 20 - 4.950cc - 25th overall and 9th in class.
• 21/03/1976 - Brazilian Formula VW 1300 - 1st Round - Interlagos/SP - Pati F-Vê - 14th Place
• 23/05/1976 - Brazilian Formula VW 1300 - 3rd Round - Interlagos/SP - Pati F-Vê - 10th Place
• 11/09/1976 - Brazilian Formula VW 1300 - 7th Round - Interlagos/SP - Pati F-Vê - 12th Place
• 29/10/1978 - Brazilian Formula VW 1300 - 9th Round - Jacarepaguá/RJ - Kaimann F-Vê - 1.285cc - ND
• 20/07/1980 - Brazilian Formula VW 1300 - 5th Round - Interlagos/SP - Kaimann F-Vê - 1.285cc - 13th Place