Birthdate: April 3, 1959 Residence: Miami, Fla., and Barcelona, Spain Ht./Wt.: 5-3, 145 Marital Status: Single IRL Races: 4 1996 IRL Rank: 22 1996 Prize Money: $210,653 Fermin Velez Indianapolis "500" Record (Passed Driver's Test 1996) Speed Speed or Year Car Rank Qual. S F Laps Led Reason Out --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Scandia/Xcel/Royal Purple 32 222.487 28 21 107 Radiator --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total: 1 Race 107
Fermin Velez was born April 3, 1959. This Barcelona native, became the youngest Spanish go-kart champion in history, at age 17 in 1976. He graduated to the Formula 1430 Series in 1978, earning Rookie of the Year honors, with a third place championship finish. He went on to compete in the European and British Formula 3 Championships as well. In 1986, he was at the wheel of a Porsche 956 competing in the Group C World Sports Prototype Series. The following year, Velez became the first Spaniard to win the crown. He captured the title again in 1989.
Velez ran in IMSA's Camel GT Series in 1991 and 1992, scoring 13 top-five finishes. Next he ran a season with IMSA's World Sports Car Series and he won a championship title in IMSA's Exxon World Sports Car Series (1995). He joined the IRL in 1996, finishing the season 22nd in points. That year at the Indy, he became the first Spaniard in history to make a "500" field. He started 28th, moved up to 13th on lap 38, and was sidelined by engine fire after 107 laps-finishing the race in 21st place.
1996-97 IRL Season Results Event FP SP Laps Reason Out IRL PTS Prize Money ------------------------------------------------------------------- Indy 200 10 9 147 Running 17 $52,150 Phoenix 200 14 15 94 Electrical 21 $42,400 -------------------------------------------------------------------
