Brazilian V8 Stock Cars: A real thriller in Cascavel – Comeback victories for Bueno and Barrichello

Brazilian V8 Stock Car drivers put an excellent show this Sunday afternoon in Cascavel at the fastest circuit of the calendar. After two thrilling races, Cacá Bueno and Rubens Barrichello go home to wait until the next round with a winner trophy each. From the grandstands or the TV screen, who stood to watch could see great battles, some spins and a lot of speed.

On the first race, the longest one, Cacá Bueno triumphed after a "war" for the lead against reigning champion Marcos Gomes. The duo switched positions several times in the middle of race one until Gomes had a suspension failure that forced him to retire. After a lucky pole position on Saturday, the sun shone again at the five-time Stock Car champion, who won for the second time this season.

"More than luck, my team gave me an incredible car and I had a wonderful battle against Marcos", said the Red Bull driver. "I think the people who could watch it had a good time, because Marcos and I had", he continued. "Of course I didn’t want him to have that problem, it was a real shame what happened to him, because it was going to be a beautiful battle until the final lap. Hard, but beautiful and loyal", Bueno sentenced.

I pressed the (push) button knowing I was going to enter the main straight with more speed than my teammate, then his car ran out of fuel right on the finish line and I won by inches

Rubens Barrichello

Ricardo Zonta, who this weekend could drive an F3 car for the first time since his F1 retirement in 2007, came in second, ahead of Diego Nunes closing the top-3. Main characters of the following race, Thiago Camilo finished 15th, with Rubens Barrichello in 17th and Allam Khodair one position down.

Daniel Serra, with his tenth-place finish, started from pole on race two, where all the drivers who hadn’t gone to the pits to refuel had to do so in the first laps of the heat. This way, Thiago Camilo, who pitted right the pit window was opened on race one, had to save fuel in order to finish the race, since it had no safety car interventions.

Camilo was superb in his driving, maintaining a gap from the rest while they fought for positions. Allam Khodair came to pass Marcos Gomes, doing it successfully. Rubens Barrichello was behind as well, saw a space that the car number 80 left on the inside of turn one, and dived to overtake. Gomes closed the door, both touched. Gomes went off the track, but managed to return to finish fourth.

"I didn’t want it to happen, but when he went on the inside, I knew he was going to miss the apex on the second part of turn one. He opened a space, I dived and when he saw I was there, he tried to close the door. My onboard camera has it registered in the case of the stewards requiring it. It was a racing incident and I just want to gain some gap", said Barrichello, who was in fact under investigation, but the results were confirmed afterwards and he could celebrate his first win of the season (his fifth victory in his Stock Car career).

The thrilling started

Thiago Camilo was leading the final lap when his car stopped with three corners to the chequered flag, out of fuel. He finished 11th, one lap behind the winner. It could be his first victory of the season, exactly on the same stage of his last triumph.

So, Khodair was in the lead with Barrichello breathing down his neck with a push-to-pass available. On the main straight, Rubens turned the final corner carrying more speed. Khodair’s engine accused the lack of fuel and his car lost speed. Under the chequered flag, the 2014 champion won by only 0s061 - a difference of 48 centimeters on the finish line.

"I couldn’t believe we had this shot. I didn’t even know if Camilo had finished the race, because he was leading superbly", said Barrichello. "My car had a better performance on the last ten laps. There were so many cars nearby and I was in doubt when the team said I was third - I thought I was 20th!", he laughed.

Barrichello continued: "I saw a yellow car slowing down (Camilo), but I was focused in engaging the ‘push’ in the exact right moment to overtake Allam, and I didn’t even know about Thiago. Then the team told me the victory was between the two cars", he revealed. "I pressed the (push) button knowing I was going to enter the main straight with more speed than my teammate, then his car ran out of fuel right on the finish line and I won by inches", he concluded.

Khodair managed to finish second, with Julio Campos third. Championship leader Felipe Fraga has now 133 points, extended his gap in front by scoring 22 finishing eighth and ninth this Sunday afternoon to open 21 on his teammate Marcos Gomes, who only put 11 more in his pocket and stands in second with 112. Behind him, the gap is close: Max Wilson (110), Daniel Serra (101), Cacá Bueno and Valdeno Brito (100), Rubens Barrichello (99), Diego Nunes (90), Ricardo Zonta (88) and Átila Abreu (85) close the top-10 of the season after six rounds.

Brazilian V8 Stock Car get into a ‘vacation’ time until the next round, the Million Reais Race at Interlagos, São Paulo, on September 11th.

RACE #1

RACE #2

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