Ana Beatriz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ana Beatriz de Figueiredo
De Figueiredo in 2023
Nationality	Brazilian
Born	Ana Beatriz Caselato Gomes de Figueiredo (1985-03-18) March 18, 1985 (age 40) São Paulo, Brazil
Awards	2008 Firestone Indy Lights Rookie of the Year 2003 Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil Rookie of the Year
IndyCar Series career
29 races run over 4 years
2013 position	29th
Best finish	21st (2011)
First race	2010 São Paulo Indy 300 (São Paulo)
Last race	2013 Iowa Corn Indy 250 (Iowa)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 0 0
Statistics current as of March 31, 2014.

Ana "Bia" Beatriz Caselato Gomes de Figueiredo, also known as Bia Figueiredo, is a Brazilian racing driver. She was born on March 18, 1985. Bia made history on July 12, 2008, when she won her first Indy Lights race at Nashville Superspeedway. This made her the first woman to win a race in the Indy Lights series. She continued to break records, becoming the first woman to win a race car event at Iowa Speedway on June 20, 2009.

Bia's Racing Journey

Starting in Karting

Ana began her racing journey in karting when she was just eight years old. Her family helped fund her early races. When she was 12, a famous racing coach named Nailor Campos started training her. He had also coached other well-known racers.

When Bia was 15, her family could no longer afford her racing. Coach Campos helped her find a sponsor, Medley pharmaceutical company. With this support, Bia became a runner-up in many karting championships. In 2003, she won the Sorriso Petrobrás Kart Cup championship.

After racing for three seasons in the Brazilian Formula Renault championship, Ana moved on to Formula Three Sudamericana in 2006. She also drove a Red Bull Volkswagen Touareg for PPD Sports that year.

Ana driving in the Firestone Freedom 100 in 2008

Racing in 2008

In 2008, Bia started racing in the American Firestone Indy Lights Series. She joined the team Sam Schmidt Motorsports, which had won championships before. In the United States, she became known as "Ana Beatriz," but many people, including herself, still called her "Bia."

Bia achieved a great result at the Firestone Freedom 100 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 23, 2008. She finished fifth, which was the best finish for a female driver in that race. A few months later, on July 12, 2008, she won her first Indy Lights race at Nashville Superspeedway. She led most of the laps in that race.

After her victory, people started comparing her to another famous female racer, Danica Patrick. Bia said that she was happy for the comparison but wanted to be known as "Bia." She hoped there was a place for her unique style in racing.

Awards in 2008

Bia's success on and off the track earned her special recognition. She received the Tony Renna Rising Star Award. This award is given to drivers who show qualities like teamwork, physical fitness, and being clever, just like the late driver Tony Renna.

She also finished third in the overall championship standings. This earned her the "Rookie of the Year" award, showing she was a promising new talent.

Racing in 2009

Bia continued racing for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in 2009. She had to miss one race at the Milwaukee Mile because of funding issues after a big crash in the Freedom 100 race. However, just a week later, she won her second series race at the Iowa Speedway. She also missed the final race of the season due to funding. Despite missing two races, she finished eighth in the overall points standings.

Racing in 2010

Bia at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 2010.

In February 2010, it was announced that Bia would drive for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the São Paulo Indy 300 race in Brazil. She also participated in the 2010 IndyCar Series season. Bia qualified for the famous 2010 Indianapolis 500 race and finished 21st.

Later that year, in December, she won the second race of the Brazilian karting event, Desafio Internacional das Estrelas. Fans loved her performance as she started 11th and moved all the way to first place. She passed experienced drivers like Tony Kanaan, Felipe Massa, and Rubens Barrichello. She ended up fourth in the final standings, even though she had the same number of points as the winner.

Racing in 2011

For the 2011 IndyCar Series season, Bia raced full-time for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. She unfortunately broke her wrist at the start of the first race in St. Petersburg. This injury caused her to miss the next race and required her to wear a brace for much of the season.

Racing in 2012

On March 8, 2012, Bia tested for Andretti Autosport. She drove one of their cars during a test session at Sebring. This test was a step towards her racing in the 2012 IndyCar Series event in her hometown of São Paulo.

On April 5, it was confirmed that she would compete in the 2012 São Paulo and Indianapolis races. She raced for Andretti Autosport with help from Conquest Racing.

From 2014 to Today

In 2014, Bia de Figueiredo started racing in Stock Car Brasil. She competed in about 120 races, achieving two top-five finishes. Her best championship result was 24th place in 2018. After that, she took a break from racing to focus on her family.

Bia returned to full-time racing in 2023, joining the Copa Truck series.

Motorsports Career Highlights

See also

In Spanish: Ana Beatriz para niños