| Most people would agree that failure is difficult to | | | | the backing of the Brazilian sugar industry. However, |
| accept. It is even more difficult when one's financial | | | | their cars were undependable and Emmo's winning |
| world collapses as well. But perhaps the most difficult | | | | record plummeted. He retired from the European |
| is to rise from the ashes of failure and achieve | | | | circuit in 1980 to manage the family team but it |
| success. Musicians, actors, actresses and businessmen | | | | folded in 1982. Heavily in debt he returned to Brazil to |
| have all done this. However, Emerson Fittipaldi, a | | | | try to recoup his financial losses. At this time he had |
| racecar driver from Brazil also accomplished this feat. | | | | driven in 144 Grand Prix and won 14. |
| Fittipaldi was born into a racing family. His father, | | | | However, although through hard work he was able |
| Wilson, had raced motorbikes and carts, and was a | | | | to pull out of his financial doldrums, he still yearned to |
| famous motor racing journalist in Brazil. As a young | | | | race. So in 1984, rather than returning to Europe |
| boy, Emerson worked with his older brother, Wilson | | | | Emmo decided to try his skill in the United States and |
| Jr., building karts and racing them. | | | | joined the American Championship Auto Racing |
| Emerson (Emmo) believed that to achieve a career in | | | | Teams (CART) Indy-Car. His first race was the Long |
| motorsport he would need to relocate to England so | | | | Beach Grand Prix and he finished fifth. At first he |
| he left his home and journeyed to London in 1969. | | | | was not well received by American fans who made |
| Here he met Jim Russell, a racing school owner, who | | | | fun of him when he came to the Indianapolis 500 in a |
| was impressed by Emmo's smooth and controlled | | | | pink car. However, Emmo won the CART |
| driving. Emmo started driving in Formula 3 and won. | | | | championship in 1989 and won the Indy 500 in 1989 |
| By 1970 he had moved into Formula 1. In 1972 Emmo | | | | and again in 1993. The young man from Brazil had |
| won the Formula 1 championship, the youngest driver | | | | climbed back up the ladder of racing success, but not |
| to ever accomplish this. He also worked to improve F! | | | | for long. |
| car and track safety. While racing in the Spanish | | | | In 1996 Emmo crashed on the Michigan International |
| Grand Prix, he braked his car at the end of the first | | | | Speedway. He survived the collision but was nearly |
| lap to complain about dangerous track conditions. | | | | completely paralyzed and decided to retire from |
| Later in the same race another driver's car spun off | | | | racing. Then in 1997 he was injured again, this time in |
| the track and killed four spectators. | | | | a small plane crash. He was fortunate to regain |
| At the end of the 1975 season, with the road to | | | | movement in his legs. And he was alive while many |
| stardom stretched out ahead of him, Emmo made | | | | of his friends had died on the track. He still maintains |
| the decision that would lead to his downfall. He left | | | | a connection with racing through his various business |
| his racing team and joined a start-up team that had | | | | ventures. |
| been organized by his older brother, Wilson, Jr. with | | | | |