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Ricardo Benjamín González Valdés (born 20 October 1977 in
Monterrey Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is ancho ...
) is a Mexican racing driver who competes in the
FIA World Endurance Championship The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The series supersedes the ACO's former Interco ...
. In
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment ...
, he won the
24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose w ...
in LMP2 class and 2013 FIA WEC World Champion LMP2 class for drivers and teams. For the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship, González shall participate as owner and pilot of the rookie Mexican team RGR Sport by Morand in the LMP2 class and confirms its participation in 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans.


Personal life

Ricardo comes from a family of drivers; his father Roberto González Sr. finished in third place in the
12 Hours of Sebring The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in Sebring, Florida, US. The event is the second ro ...
in 1976 and his brother Roberto Jr. competed in the Champ Car World Series in 2003 and 2004. He is a father of four children and lives with his family in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...
. His grandfather Roberto González Barrera was the chairman of food company Gruma and bank Banorte. His daughter Roberta Luciana, at 11 years old is a 2013 National equestrian champion in Mexico. He is the president of the foundation ASUCQ which was formed to create Arkansas State University-Campus Querétaro, a campus of the
Arkansas State University System The Arkansas State University System, based in Little Rock, serves almost 40,000 students annually on campuses in Arkansas and Queretaro, Mexico, and globally online. The Arkansas State University System includes Arkansas State University (A-S ...
in
Querétaro Querétaro (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro, links=no; Otomi: ''Hyodi Ndämxei''), is one of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities. Its capi ...
, Mexico. The campus opened with its first class of students on 4 September 2017.


Racing career


1994 - 95

In 1994-1995 Ricardo was the youngest driver to participate in the Mexican F3 FIA, His career began in karts in 1990.


1999 - 2000

Indy Lights Indy NXT, previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as Firestone Indy NXT Series for sponsorship reasons. Indy Lights is the highest step on the Road to Indy, a progr ...
Panamericana


2001

In 2001, González took part in the Formula Chrysler Euroseries as teammate to his older brother Roberto at Swiss team Alpie Motorsport. Ricardo finished the season fourth as Roberto was runner-up. In 2003 he raced in the World Series by Nissan.


2010

In 2010 he returned from a seven-year break from racing to contest the
American Le Mans Series The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le M ...
. After starting four races in the GTC class, he and teammate Luis Díaz switched to the LMPC class for the final four rounds of the season.


2011

In 2011 season González drove for
Core Autosport CORE Autosport was an American auto racing team founded by Jon Bennett in 2010 and based out of Rock Hill, South Carolina. After claiming the IMSA Lites Championship in 2010, the team, led by team manager, Morgan Brady, made the move to compet ...
team in the
American Le Mans Series The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le M ...
LMPC class with his co-driver Gunnar Jeannette, they got the victory in two races, GP of Long Beach and GP of Mosport, with 156 points they won the American Le Mans Series season.


2012

In
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
he is racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship for
Greaves Motorsport Greaves Motorsport is a British racing team, currently competing in the European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2006, Greaves Motorsport, founded and run by Tim Greaves, entered the Le Mans Series (LMS) for the first time, ...
alongside
Elton Julian Elton Julian (born August 16, 1974) is an American racecar driver and team owner. After driving at the International Formula 3000 and the FIA World Endurance Championship, he has entered DragonSpeed at the FIA WEC, WeatherTech SportsCar Champion ...
and
Christian Zugel Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρισ ...
. In
24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose w ...
González and his co-drivers Julian and Zugel from Greaves Motorsport Zytek Z11SN- Nissan team, got 5th place in the LMP2 class (twelfth overall).


2013

For
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment ...
, González was hired by OAK
Morgan Morgan may refer to: People and fictional characters * Morgan (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Morgan le Fay, a powerful witch in Arthurian legend * Morgan (surname), a surname of Welsh origin * Morgan (singer), ...
- Nissan to drive Morgan-Nissans in the LMP2 class on the
FIA World Endurance Championship The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The series supersedes the ACO's former Interco ...
. González shares the number 35 entry with co-drivers Bertrand Baguette and Martin Plowman. The 2013 season started at the 6 Hours of Silverstone, the OAK Racing Morgan LMP2- Nissan No. 35 finished in fourth place (twelfth overall) to get their first 10 points for the World Championship. On the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, González, Baguette and Plowman finished in third position (for cars registered for points in the FIA World Endurance Championship), of LMP2 class (eleventh overall). In
24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose w ...
Ricardo and his co-drivers Bertrand Baguette and Martin Plowman from OAK Racing Morgan LMP2- Nissan team, won 81st edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in LMP2 class (seventh overall). Their Morgan LMP2 covered a total of 329 laps in the
Circuit de la Sarthe The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport race course, chiefly known as the venue for the 24 ...
. The race was run in very difficult weather conditions and several serious accidents bringing out a record of twelve safety car caution periods. So, González became the first Mexican driver to get the first place of since Pedro Rodríguez in
1968 The year was highlighted by Protests of 1968, protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechos ...
. González recognize to Pedro Rodríguez as his hero. Heavy rains forced race officials to start the race under safety car conditions, completing eight laps before the race was temporarily stopped due to no improvement in track conditions. The 6 Hours of São Paulo were held at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, on 30 August–1 September. González, Baguette and Plowman got the second place of LMP2 category, only behind Oreca 03- Nissan team ( Rusinov,
Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Aus ...
and Conway). With this result the Mexican driver got his second podium of the year. In the fifth round of 2013 season were the 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas in Austin,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
on 20–22 September. González, Baguette and Plowman obtained the seventh place of LMP2 category (eleventh overall). On 18–20 October, in the 6 hours of Fuji, following a two-hour delay the race was restarted once more under the safety car, lapping another eight circuits before officials stopped the race again and eventually called an end to the event. The No. 35 OAK Morgan-Nissan (Baguette, González and Plowman), started in the
pole position In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the ra ...
and was declared the race winner of LMP2 class (fourth overall), in the same position they started. Due to difficult weather conditions half points will be awarded for all the teams and drivers in the event. During the 6 Hours of Shanghai on 8–9 November, the No. 35 OAK Morgan-Nissan trio (Baguette, González and Plowman), qualified in fourth position and finished in third place (7th overall). With this new podium the French team extend their lead on 15 points to the final race of the championship. On the last race of the season the 6 Hours of Bahrain on 29–30 November, González, Baguette and Plowman qualified in sixth place and finished in fourth position (sixth overall). Therefore, the Mexican Ricardo González won the 2013 FIA WEC World Championship for drivers and teams in LMP2 class.


2014

Le Castellet, France – April 2, 2014 – Ricardo González will compete in the 2014
European Le Mans Series The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
with ART Grand Prix driving a McLaren MP4-12C GT3 in GTC class. González will run for the first time in his career in a GT3 car, which he will share with Alex Brundle and Karim Ajlani.


2015

In
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
González returns to
FIA World Endurance Championship The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The series supersedes the ACO's former Interco ...
with the
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
n team
G-Drive Racing G-Drive Racing is a Russian sports car racing team. It is named after the commercial fuel distributed by Gazprom Neft, a subsidiary of oil giant Gazprom. They made their debut in the LMP2 class of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship in ...
along with his co-drivers Gustavo Yacamán and Pipo Derani.


2016

In 2016 González returns to
FIA World Endurance Championship The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The series supersedes the ACO's former Interco ...
as owner and driver of the Mexican team RGR Sport by Morand. His co-drivers were ex Formula 1
Bruno Senna Bruno Senna Lalli (, born 15 October 1983) is a Brazilian professional racing driver. He is the nephew of the late Ayrton Senna, three-time Formula One world champion. He is also the first man to win a race in every WEC class, and was the 2017 W ...
and Filipe Albuquerque. In the 6 Hours of Silverstone the Mexican rookie team won the race in the LMP2 Class (fifth overall), incredible result in their debut as a team. Second podium for González and the Mexican team in the 6 Hours of Nürburgring (ninth overall), only behind #36 car Signatech Alpine. On the fifth race of the season, the 6 Hours of Mexico, the
Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl ...
squad achieved the first place in the LMP2 class (sixth overall), with the minimal advantage of 1.985 seconds over the second place, the #36 Signatech Alpine. The car #43 started from the
pole position In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the ra ...
but missing 4 hours and 4 minutes the car fell to third place due to a contact with the #26
G-Drive Racing G-Drive Racing is a Russian sports car racing team. It is named after the commercial fuel distributed by Gazprom Neft, a subsidiary of oil giant Gazprom. They made their debut in the LMP2 class of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship in ...
but rallied to take the checkered flag in the rain with Albuquerque behind the wheel. The RGR Sport by Morand recorded the fastest lap on turn number 28. Great success for González as principal, driver and promoter of the event in his home soil.


24 Hours of Le Mans results


Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

* Season in progress.


European Le Mans Series results

* Season still in progress.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez, Ricardo 1978 births Living people Sportspeople from Monterrey Racing drivers from Nuevo León American Le Mans Series drivers 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers FIA World Endurance Championship drivers European Le Mans Series drivers Morand Racing drivers Greaves Motorsport drivers OAK Racing drivers G-Drive Racing drivers ART Grand Prix drivers Level 5 Motorsports drivers