Giaffone went to the United States to drive in the
Indy Lights series in 1999 where he was coached by
Formula One legend and countryman
Nelson Piquet. He began racing in the IRL in 2001 and won one race at
Kentucky Speedway in 2002. In 2003, Giaffonewas one of the IRL's representatives in the
IROC series, but he only competed in two races due to injury and finished tenth in series standings. In 2005, Giaffone made a last minute deal with
A. J. Foyt to qualify a third car for him in the
Indianapolis 500. With minutes to spare, Giaffone bumped
Arie Luyendyk Jr. from the field. Starting in the final 33rd starting position, he avoided attrition and finished fifteenth. With A. J.'s grandson
A. J. Foyt IV leaving the IRL for
NASCAR in 2006, A. J. the elder chose Giaffone to be his full-time driver for the
2006 season but he was released after eight races due to what Foyt called "communication problems". In 2007, Giaffone returned to Brazil to race in the
Fórmula Truck. He won the championship four times in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2016, and was runner-up in 2010, 2012 and 2014. In 2017 he switched to the
Copa Truck, where he claimed four titles in 2017, 2023, 2024 and 2025, and two runner-ups in 2018 and 2022. ==Racing record==