Spataro takes victory at Buenos Aires

The Argentinian Touring Car Championship (TC 2000) started it's 26th season this weekend at Buenos Aries Racetrack with victory for Emiliano Spataro at the wheel of a Volkswagen Bora followed in the podium by Guillermo Ortelli in a Peugeot 307 and Carlos Okulovich jr. with a Chevrolet Astra.

Since the activity started on saturday, Spataro shown with the fastest lap in the practice that with the Bora of the private team Sport he was in condition of dream with a good result in the season opener of the TC 2000.

Spataro confirmed his condition of candidate by setting fourth best time in the qualifyng session and winning the second heat of the journey in front of Norberto Fontana's Toyota Corolla.

When the moment of the main competition arrived, Sptaro's chances for the victory seemed to depend of what Juan M. Silva would do driving the Honda Civic. And so it was.

The former 1999 champion dominated the race from the green lights until a mechanic problem on lap 21 meant the end of the idea of winning for the Honda Racing Argentina along Fontana's, who was on third and couldn't avoid Silva's car when his Civic stopped in the track.

This sourprising situation put Spataro in the leader position and at the door of taking his first victory in the series.

The 28 years old driver comfortably led the field until the chequered flag allowed him to free his joy in the highest of the podium for the first time in 28 races in TC 2000.

"It was the best race of my life. I want a thank the team and to the luck too because if Silva wouldn't had that problem I don't know if I can win today", commented the new winner.

It also was the return to the victory for a Volkswagen car since the last of Esteban Tuero with the factory Polo at Oberá in 2000.

The fact that Spataro won driving a private machine makes more important his achievement. Also, according to the new rules of the series, the winner took home along to the trophy the interesting number of 40000 pesos.

In difference to Spataro's result, the second place was for Ortelli and the EF Racing a good sourprise in the season opener round.

Ortelli, who iniciated the race from seventh position, had a good rhythmn that, benefited by the retirerment of Silva and Fontana, and the delay of Gabriel Ponce de León, to take his best result with the Peugeot 307.

"The car was good. We have to keep working. I want a congratulate Emiliano, today we are two private cars in the podium", mentioned Ortelli.

Similar was the race for Okulovich jr. with the Astra. The young driver iniciated in the best way his experience in the champion team.

Okulovich was the shadow of Ortelli from the starting grid to the end and added an importan podium in the season start.

"I'm happy with the result. I had a brake problem, so the idea was to keep the position and not risk to much", said Okulovich after his debut with the Chevrolet.

Besides, during all the weekend Okulovich was the fastest of the three Astra cars, included current champion, Christian Ledesma that arrived on fourth.

Thus was the season opener of the Argentinian Touring Car Championship in what might be it most important year. The series started in a very good way the shedule that has as more importart rounds the '200km. of Buenos Aires' for October, a race in Curitiba, Brazil, and also the intention of concrete the oval race at Rafaela (failed on 2004) and close the season with a street circuit at Santa Fé.

With interesting sports and marketing news, and it condition of more developed series in South America, the TC 2000 is in it road for a year of final take-off.