Rinaldo Capello

Rinaldo Capello
Nationality Italian 24 Hours of Le Manscareer Participating years 1998 - 2004, 2006 Teams GTC Competition, AudiSport Joest, Team Bentley, AudiSport Goh Best finish 1st (2003, 2004) Class wins 2 (2003, 2004)

Rinaldo Capello (born June 17th 1964 in Asti, Italy), also known as Dindo Capello, is an Italian endurance racing driver.

Dindo started his racing career in 1976, driving go-karts, but didn't move into single-seaters until 1983, starting in Formula Fiat Abarth. 1990 saw Dindo's first major championship victory, winning the Italian Supertourismo Championship in a Volkswagen Golf. He won the championship again in 1996, but in an Audi A4 this time.[1]

1997 saw Capello's first major endurance victory, at Vallelunga, in the Vallelunga 6 Hours, driving a Volkswagen Golf again. Capello was selected for the 2000 Le Mans race by the Audi Sport Joest team, driving the Audi R8. Nobody knew how successful this car would be, but the team ended up finishing in third place.

Capello was on the winning team in both the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2003 and 2004, driving a Bentley Speed 8 and an Audi R8 respectively, and has also finished on the podium on three other occasions.

Capello also won the Sebring 12 Hours in 2002.

Dindo was vice-champion of the 2000 American Le Mans Series, winning 6 races. In both 2006 and 2007 Dindo finished as champion alongside Britain's Allan McNish in the Audi Sport North America run R10.

Capello crashed the Audi R10 at the 2007 Le Mans, after losing a rear tire.[2] The Audi nr. 2 was leading the race comfortably at the time, and the crash ended the teams quest for another Le Mans win.