Eliseo Salazar Biography: Eliseo Salazar Valenzuela is a former race driver from Chile. He made his Formula One debut on March 15, 1981, and raced in 37 races, gaining three championship points.
Eliseo Salazar Biography
Eliseo Salazar Biography: Eliseo Salazar was born on 14 November 1954 in Santiago, Chile. He came to Formula One in 1981 after racing in the British F1 Championship in 1980 with a Williams FW07 and winning at Silverstone.
Eliseo Salazar Wiki
| Name | Eliseo Salazar |
| Date Of Birth | 14 November 1954 |
| Birth Place | Santiago, Chile |
| Height | N/A |
| Weight | N/A |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| Profession | Racing Driver |
| Net Worth | N/A |
| Car Collection | N/A |
Also Read: Edgar Barth Biography, Wiki, Height, Weight, Racing Career & More
Eliseo Salazar Career
Mid-season, he transferred to Ensign and finished sixth in the Dutch Grand Prix. In 1982 while driving for ATS, he finished fifth in the San Marino Grand Prix, a race in which only seven teams participated because of the FISA–FOCA conflict. In 1982, at the German Grand Prix, he collided with race leader Nelson Piquet as he attempted to pass him. This was his most notable moment in Formula One. After both drivers exited their damaged cars, Piquet began to strike and kick Salazar. Due to his affinity with the Brazilian driver, who assisted him in his first European driving experience, Salazar did not respond to the assault.
Piquet apologized to Salazar over the phone months later after learning from a BMW mechanic that the engine in his car was about to fail anyway & that Salazar spared BMW the embarrassment of an engine failure at their home race. Officials from BMW were present. In 1983, he participated in six races with RAM Racing, but the car was so slow that he only qualified twice. He finished fourteenth in Jacarepaguá and retired in Long Beach due to a failed gearbox.
Salazar had to leave F1 in the early 1980s due to the Chilean economic crisis. He then competed with limited success in the Formula 3000 and South American Formula Three championships. In 1985, driving a Toyota Corolla XT, he won the Chilean hill-climbing championship in a Toyota Corolla.
In 1995, he signed a contract with Dick Simon Racing to compete in the CART Indy Car World Series and made an impressive debut at the Indy 500. He started 33rd and finished 4th in the Cristal-Copec-Mobil 1 No. 7 with a Lola-Cosworth.
In 1996, when the IRL and CART separated, Salazar decided to compete in the new series. Four Top 10 finishes at the Indy 500 established him as a consistent top driver. His best performance at Indianapolis occurred in 2000 when he drove a G-Force-Oldsmobile Aurora for A. J. Foyt Enterprises and finished in third position.
In 1997, Salazar won his one and only IRL race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway while competing for Team Scandia. In addition, he made his only start in a NASCAR-sanctioned race that year, finishing 17th on the road course at Watkins Glen International in the Craftsman Truck Series.
Salazar had his finest seasons in the IRL in 2000 and 2001, finishing fourth and fifth in those championships with five top-five finishes in 2000. In 2002, he had to miss some races after suffering a severe accident during testing at Indianapolis. After much thought, Salazar decided to retire from Indy Car racing and focus on Sports Cars.
