Brazilian V8 Stock Cars reaches higher status

The Brazilian V8 Stock Car Championship, major national racing series, has now become also a South American championship. The change of status was officially confirmed last Wednesday (March 16th) after Codasur - the South American motorsports governing body - released a statement giving Stock Cars (and also Argentina’s Super TC2000) such a continental status.

In practical terms, the 2016 V8 Stock Car champion will hold the Brazilian and South American titles. "It is really important inside Codasur to incorporate those two important racing series, which will allow an exchange of drivers in sporting events, fostering greater competitiveness on track, and thus strengthening motorsport in South America", says the Codasur statement.

"It is indeed a great announcement for Stock Car. Even though we are currently racing only in Brazil, our series arouses great interest of drivers from other countries", highlighted Mauricio Slaviero, Vicar general Director.

The now official South American status for Brazilian V8 Stock Cars corroborates a fact that for a long time occurs between the main series of Brazilian and Argentinian auto racing: three weeks ago during the All Star Race, the Stock Car season opener in Curitiba, five drivers from Argentina were on the grid. One of them, Nestor Girolami, twice a Super TC2000 champion, races with a full season contract in Brazil.

Local heroes such as Ricardo Maurício and Cacá Bueno - to name a few - had raced in Argentina as well, and with great success. Brazilian V8 Stock Cars itself took its cars to race in the neighboring country: it happened in 2005, 2006 and 2007 at the Oscar Galvez Autodrome in Buenos Aires, with victories of Giuliano Losacco, Ingo Hoffmann and Cacá Bueno.

Brazil’s newest racetrack almost ready

Among the ten circuits that will host the 12 rounds of Brazilian V8 Stock Car season in 2016, one in special draws great expectations from the drivers. Besides the return of Londrina to the calendar after a three-year absence, and the farewell to Curitiba, a venue which is to close permanently after the season opener in March 6th, all eyes are set on the Circuito dos Cristais (or Crystals Circuit, in Portuguese).

Brazil’s newest racing venue is on to be officially opened in April and will host the 11th round of the season on November 20th. Located in the city of Curvelo (170 km north of province capital Belo Horizonte), the circuit will be the country’s longest racetrack. Comprising 4.420 km it is bigger than world famous Interlagos (4.309 km), home for the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix.

Vicar