Guillermo Castellanos Fatal Crash @ Comodoro Rivadavia 2007
- 6 months ago
Driver Guillermo Castellanos died after a serious accident that involved four cars during the 5th round of the 2007 Turismo Carretera series, held on Sunday, 22 April 2007 at the Autódromo Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut province, Argentina.
During the sixth lap of the final race (other versions said eighth lap), the Dodge Cherokee of Pedro Dandlen spun at Curva del Mar (Sea’s Turn), and was struck by Ernesto Bessone's Dodge Cherokee and Laureano Campanera's Chevrolet. Although poor visibility Castellanos tried to avoid the crash but his Chevrolet also hit the spinning car of Dandlen with the rear left axle against the Dodge’s engine, at some 160 km/h. Both cars spun and entered the run-off area, and immediately burst into fire.
When firefighters arrived they extinguished the fire in a few minutes, and the rescuers managed to extract Castellanos from the wreckage. His acompañante Carlos Silvestre who suffered minor injuries, was lying on the roadside.
Severely injured, Guillermo Castellanos was transferred to the Hospital Regional of Comodoro Rivadavia, where he died some minutes later as a result of his multiple fractures. Pedro Dandlen who sustained the fracture of his right leg kneecap and traumatism of the left arm and his slightly injured co-driver Daniel Ponzi were taken to Clínica del Valle hospital in the center of the city.
Castellanos who was 40 year-old from Nueve de Julio city, province of Buenos Aires, started his racing career in karting races at the age of 20. Then he raced in Formula Renault, in the Volkswagen Gol series in 1997, and in 1998 he moved to TC Pista, having his debut in the Turismo Carretera series on 19 February 2006, just in the same Comodoro Rivadavia circuit. He took part in 18 TC races, with a 11th place as best result.
After the accident the race was stopped with red flag, and later re-started as a 15-lap race, being the winner Matías Rossi in a Chevrolet, at his first win in the category. The authorities of the ACTC - Asociación Corredores Turismo Carretera announced the decease of the unfortunate Castellanos after the end of the race.
R.I.P
During the sixth lap of the final race (other versions said eighth lap), the Dodge Cherokee of Pedro Dandlen spun at Curva del Mar (Sea’s Turn), and was struck by Ernesto Bessone's Dodge Cherokee and Laureano Campanera's Chevrolet. Although poor visibility Castellanos tried to avoid the crash but his Chevrolet also hit the spinning car of Dandlen with the rear left axle against the Dodge’s engine, at some 160 km/h. Both cars spun and entered the run-off area, and immediately burst into fire.
When firefighters arrived they extinguished the fire in a few minutes, and the rescuers managed to extract Castellanos from the wreckage. His acompañante Carlos Silvestre who suffered minor injuries, was lying on the roadside.
Severely injured, Guillermo Castellanos was transferred to the Hospital Regional of Comodoro Rivadavia, where he died some minutes later as a result of his multiple fractures. Pedro Dandlen who sustained the fracture of his right leg kneecap and traumatism of the left arm and his slightly injured co-driver Daniel Ponzi were taken to Clínica del Valle hospital in the center of the city.
Castellanos who was 40 year-old from Nueve de Julio city, province of Buenos Aires, started his racing career in karting races at the age of 20. Then he raced in Formula Renault, in the Volkswagen Gol series in 1997, and in 1998 he moved to TC Pista, having his debut in the Turismo Carretera series on 19 February 2006, just in the same Comodoro Rivadavia circuit. He took part in 18 TC races, with a 11th place as best result.
After the accident the race was stopped with red flag, and later re-started as a 15-lap race, being the winner Matías Rossi in a Chevrolet, at his first win in the category. The authorities of the ACTC - Asociación Corredores Turismo Carretera announced the decease of the unfortunate Castellanos after the end of the race.
R.I.P