Brazilian V8 Stock Cars return to Curitiba to their 450th race

After a farewell race in the opening round of the season in Curitiba, Brazilian V8 Stock Cars is back to the capital city of Paraná state. The venue was to be closed and sold, however, the owners of the circuit backed down on the decision to keep track running normally. While the reconstruction of the Autódromo Nelson Piquet, in Brasília, remains interrupted with a double-header scheduled since the beginning of the year, this was the obvious option to move the ninth round to the capital of Paraná state.

That will be the 450th race in Brazilian V8 Stock Cars history, which started back in 1979 at the Tarumã circuit. Since then, 38 seasons, 16 champions (Ingo Hoffmann holds the record with 12 titles to his belt) and 61 race winners.

Drivers and teams praised Vicar’s decision to race again in Curitiba, and the championship heads to its penultimate round with young ace Felipe Fraga leading the standings quite comfortably. The Cimed driver sustains 196 points, 39 ahead of Rubens Barrichello from the Medley Full Time squad.

Valdeno Brito comes reaching better results every race - he was third in Interlagos and second in Londrina’s race one -, and the TMG racer is third with 148 points, only nine behind Barrichello. Reigning champion Marcos Gomes, Fraga’s teammate, is fourth with 137, only one ahead of Max Wilson, the fifth.

The 3.696-km circuit held the All-Star Race in the beginning of the season, when international names came to Brasil, and raced the 500-hp Stock Cars. Names such as Portugal’s António Félix da Costa, Laurens Vanthoor, Lucas di Grassi, Maxime Martin and Nelson Piquet Jr joined the grid. Marcos Gomes, who raced alongside Antonio Pizzonia, won the race.

Track action this weekend is due to begin on Friday with a session to drivers who stand from 15th place back in the championship, followed by free practice one; Qualifying takes place at 12 pm on Saturday after FP2. Round nine of Brazilian V8 Stock Cars, SporTV will broadcast this Sunday, live this Sunday at 1 and 2:10 pm local time.

Vicar