When Jim Hall tested Gil de Ferran in his Champ Car during the summer of 1994, none of us had ever heard of this kid with the unusual name. The accompanying press release mentioned he'd won the British Formula 3 title for Paul Stewart Racing so I dialed up Jackie Stewart to get the scoop.

"Gil is a very talented, very fast and very bright young man," said the three-time world champion. "If he doesn't catch on with an F-1 team, then somebody in CART should give him an opportunity because he's a winner."

The Flying Scot's assessment turned out to be spot on in every aspect.

De Ferran, who is retiring from open wheel racing following Sunday's Indy Racing League finale at Texas Motor Speedway, parlayed that test with Hall into an impressive nine-year run in America.

He earned back-to-back CART championships in 2000-2001 and won this year's Indianapolis 500, in addition to the respect of everyone who raced against him.

"We've had some good battles and Gil always raced you hard but clean," said Kenny Brack, who has dueled with de Ferran in CART and IRL the past four years.

Michael Andretti, CART's all-time winner, remembered de Ferran as "very competitive and very intelligent."

Added 2002 CART champ, current F-1 regular and fellow Brazilian Cristiano da Matta: "You could always trust Gil and he was always quick no matter what he drove."

De Ferran won seven races and 16 poles during his CART days but never lost his perspective or professionalism, whether he was on top with Team Penske or struggling with uncompetitive tires.

	Gil de Ferran kissed his wife Angela on the start/finish line at Indy Motor Speedway last May after his triumph.

From 1996-98, de Ferran was stuck with Goodyear tires, which were dominated and eventually run out of American open wheel racing by Firestone.

"I have no doubt our Goodyear situation handicapped us and we could have done better," said Derrick Walker, who employed de Ferran from 1997-99 and finished runner-up in the '97 point standings. "But I don't think there was a guy with the patience Gil had. He knew we were in trouble early on that first season together but he didn't throw a tantrum or give up.

"That's when his professionalism really came out. He never got too emotional about any situation and he stayed focused. I also remember that he never gave up."

Walker chuckles when asked to describe de Ferran's demeanor.

"He was very thoughtful, almost a nerdy engineering type," he replied. "Understanding what the car was doing gave him a great inner-confidence and he would spend hours going over data with our engineers.

"He didn't take unneccesary chances and drove well within his limitations. He was very smart in that respect. And he was also very aware of everything around him, on and off the track. I don't think people were aware of how clever Gil was."

Roger Penske paid attention to a driver that stayed competitive with Goodyear tires because his proud organization suffered through winless years in 1998 and 1999 before changing chassis, engine, tires and drivers for 2000.

"There's no guarantees in life, I don't believe, but I have to tell you that when I spoke to Roger back in early 1999, it only took me a few minutes to realize, you know, how much commitment he had going forward to bring the team back to success," said de Ferran, who has made Miami his home since 1996. "And certainly, his track record and the commitment he portrayed, I mean, in my mind, that was the best possible deal. I certainly didn't want to be on the other end of it, you know, fighting against him, from what I heard.

"And it proved…I guess it proved to be the right decision."

The 35-year-old Brazilian (he'll be 36 next month) is also walking away while he's still on top of his game -- a rarity in motorsports.

"To be honest with you, I am sure I am going to have a few itches here and there in the future because I love racing. I always did, and I probably always will," he said in reference to retiring. "When I made my decision I called friends or people that I felt played a very important role in my life and my career, certainly one of those people was Jackie Stewart. So I called Jackie and he said, 'How old are you?' I said, '35.' He said, 'Oh, you lasted one more year than I did.'

"So I don't know, it's hard to know exactly when the time is to stop and at what age and so on and so forth. I guess I just felt it was my time."

It may be a long time before we run across another racer with all of de Ferran's endearing qualities. His self-depreciating sense of humor was always refreshing, his ego seldom surfaced and he never dodged fans or media, regardless of the circumstances.

"Gil thought he was the best driver out there but he didn't need to have someone slap him on the back and tell him that every day," Walker said. "His ego never got out of control, he'd readily admit his mistakes and he didn't try to b.s. you all the time.

"He was just a pleasure to be around."

Born in Paris, raised in Brazil, schooled on English road courses, flourished in America -- that was Gil's timeline and he seems genuinely appreciative of this incredible journey.

"Racing is all I've known since I was a teenager and I love racing, cars and technology," he said. "I've traveled all over the world, learned so much and it's just been a wonderful experience. It's something I'll always cherish.

"When I came over here to test for Jim (Hall), I had no idea it would lead into such a wonderful opportunity."

And we had no idea Gil de Ferran would become a name we'll always associate with class and champions.

Robin Miller covers open wheel racing for ESPN and ESPN.com.