Ernie Gonella

With over 35 years of experience in the field, Ernie knows racing from both the driving and engineering perspectives. He was born in Chicago, raised in Argentina, and later moved to Florida in 2002. Growing up in a racing family, he began working on his first race car at the age of 16, laying the foundation for a lifelong career in motorsport.

 

As a driver in Argentina, he was the 1989 Sport Prototipo runner-up and the 1990 Sport Prototipo Champion. During the following years, he competed professionally in Formula Renault, Formula Super Renault, touring cars, and Turismo Carretera while also managing his own team.

As an engineer, Ernie designed, built, and homologated Formula Renault and Sport Prototype cars in Argentina, and also engineered numerous Turismo Carretera (TC) cars.

 

For over a decade, Ernie served as Head Engineer and Technical Director at Juncos Racing, helping the team win numerous races and championships. Notable drivers he has worked with include Peter Dempsey, Conor Daly, Spencer Pigot, and Kyle Kaiser.

 

As a young driver and entrepreneur in Argentina, Ernie founded his own racing team, Gonella Competición, in 1987. In 2019, building on decades of hands-on experience, he launched Gonella Racing in the U.S., bringing the same passion and drive that have defined his entire career.