Brazilian V8 Stock Cars: Goiânia races a matter of choices

Strategy was the word in vogue during the third round of Brazilian V8 Stock Cars this Sunday in Goiânia. The matter was simple: if the driver’s chances of a podium on race one were high, he or she would not make the pit stop. Some had chosen the tactics of pitting right in the beginning to gather more chances of a good result on race two - although the second race, shorter, awards half of the points compared to race one.

In this scenario, the winners were Marcos Gomes and Galid Osman, respectively, choosing different strategies. Ricardo Maurício, Valdeno Brito, Felipe Fraga and Rubens Barrichello also mounted on the podiums and collected some good points for their championship campaigns. The variety was big: or you race to win, or you race to add the highest possible number of points. Some got it right, some didn’t or faced technical troubles - examples of the polesitter Cacá Bueno and his Red Bull teammate Daniel Serra (puncture and oil pump issue).

Gomes, the 2015 champion, was more effective in this case, since he has the 30 points for race one victory, as Osman got 15 after winning race two, plus 10 points for his P14 on the previous heat.

"We took the risk in the first race, which awards the most points. It was clear that the top-3 drivers would not come in for a pit stop, so we would sacrifice the second race hoping for something like a safety car, so we could have the chance to get some more", said Marcos Gomes, the new championship leader - 59 points, three ahead of his teammate Felipe Fraga.

"Yesterday we had a long meeting within the team to decide what to do. I knew that starting from P12 and coming in for the pit stop right after the 10th lap would put me in a good position for race two - because of the grid-reverse order and also because others would have to stop and we wouldn’t. It was a matter of saving tyres, fuel and ‘pushs’", highlighted Galid.

Rubens Barrichello was one of the drivers who changed their minds on the course of the first race. Alternating between P3 and P4 with Daniel Serra, the 2014 champion knew he couldn’t go for the win, so he decided to make his pit stop on the last minute of the window to finish 11th (13 points) and then be on the podium in third place at the final heat (more 12 points).

"The thing is: to win a title you need the highest number of points, not podiums", he sentenced. "Our chance to win race one was minimal, so we changed the tactics, in which we have got it right. In the end, I think I would have scored 22 points scarifying race two, and now we leave Goiânia with 25 in our pocket. We have to play as the rules. And in the end, 25 is more than 22", he said.

Round 4 of Brazilian V8 Stock Cars leaves the heat of Goiânia and heads to the south. In two weeks, teams and drivers gather again in Santa Cruz do Sul (RS).

Results (unofficial) 

Race 1 (30 laps)

Race 2 (18 laps

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