Carlos Alberto Pardo Estévez (September 15, 1975 – June 14, 2009) was a Mexican
stock car
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
racing driver from
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
. He was the first driver to win the
NASCAR Mexico Corona Series championship.
Career
Pardo won 10 of his 74 NASCAR Mexico Corona Series starts and had 8 poles. He won the championship in 2004.
He was third in standings in 2005 and 2006.
Pardo also competed in six races in the
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
Camping World Series East in 2004 and 2005 and raced in the NASCAR
Nationwide Series
The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...
at
Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez in 2006.
[
]
Death
Pardo was killed in an accident which occurred on the 97th lap of a 100-lap NASCAR Mexico Corona Series race at Autódromo Miguel E. Abed in Amozoc, Puebla, on June 14, 2009. As Pardo led the field with just four laps remaining, Jorge Goeters
Jorge Goeters (born June 26, 1970) is a Mexican racecar driver.
At the present time, Goeters competes full-time in the NASCAR Mexico Series in Mexico. In the past few years he also competed at the international level on a limited basis, running ...
attempted to overtake Pardo going into turn 3. Pardo attempted to block Goeters, but came into contact with the front of Goeters' car. Pardo's car spun down the track and collided side-on with the edge of a concrete retaining wall at over . Even with water drums (Fitch Barrier
An impact attenuator, also known as a crash cushion, crash attenuator, or cowboy cushion, is a device intended to reduce the damage to structures, vehicles, and motorists resulting from a motor vehicle collision. Impact attenuators are designed to ...
) in place to soften any collision, the car disintegrated upon impact. Pardo was transported to a nearby hospital by helicopter, where he was pronounced dead. He was declared the winner of the race as he was leading the race at the last completed lap before the accident occurred, beating Goeters by 0.044 seconds.[ Pardo, driving for ]Motorcraft
Motorcraft is an auto part brand owned and operated by Ford Motor Company. Products under the "Motorcraft" brand include spark plugs, batteries, brakes, fuel filter, A/C condensers and accumulators, motor oil, automatic transmission fluid, among ...
team, had started the race from the last row.
Pardo's brother Rubén also competes in the NASCAR Mexico Corona Series,[ and finished sixth in the race that his brother won posthumously.
]
Motorsports career results
NASCAR
( key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Busch Series
Busch East Series
West Series
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pardo, Carlos
1975 births
2009 deaths
Racing drivers from Mexico City
Mexican racing drivers
NASCAR drivers
Sport deaths in Mexico
Filmed deaths in motorsport
Racing drivers who died while racing