Winning Influence

While most 8-year-olds his age were playing games, Oswaldo Negri was already racing in Brazil, where he won several go-kart championships. He then progressed to cars in Formula Ford, and later Brazilian and South American Formula 3 and eventually British Formula 3. “I always knew that racing was the only thing I ever wanted to do,” he says. When Negri asked his father to let him race go-karts, he told him he didn’t have any money for that. “To make me stop asking, he said that if he won the lottery, he’d buy me and my brother whatever we wanted. I prayed and prayed so much that my father actually won the lottery and bought us the go-karts — that’s how I started my career!” When Negri arrived in the U.S., he had several opportunities but felt most “at home” in endurance racing. “I’ve been with the Michael Shank Racing Team for almost 15 years and have had the opportunity to race in legendary events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France,” he says. “I also won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 2012.” When he’s not on the track, he’s campaigning for Camp Boggy Creek, where children with serious illnesses and their families can attend free of charge to have fun while also receiving medical attention, if needed; BoggyCreek.org; NegriJr.com.