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Practice report

Brazilian V8 Stock Cars: Learning a new track. On the wet

Longer than Interlagos, tricky and with few run-off areas. Drivers expect a challenging round in Minas Gerais, as Argentina’s Nestor Girolami sets the pace on Friday

Nestor Girolami, Franco Girolami

Nestor Girolami, Franco Girolami

Átila Abreu
Felipe Fraga, Marcos Gomes
Max Wilson
Felipe Fraga
Rubens Barrichello
Rubens Barrichello
Átila Abreu
Max Wilson in Londrina
Felipe Fraga
Valdeno Brito
Átila Abreu
Felipe Fraga

The drivers had an extra challenge this Friday during the first day of activities for the 11th round of Brazilian V8 Stock Cars, which is being held at the city of Curvelo, Minas Gerais. The ‘Circuito dos Cristais’ racetrack comprehends a 4.420-km circuit - longer than Interlagos, for example -, and is new for everyone in the field. Besides having to learn a new, 18-corner track, the competitors had to do it in the wet.

After the shakedown and the extra session, cars could hit the tarmac on a dry surface. Laptimes dropped, and Eisenbahn’s racer Nestor Girolami set the fastest lap with a 1min52s593. "The team gave me a good car, easy to handle, and this is important when you are learning a new track", said the Argentinian, who was only 0s073 quicker than Marcos Gomes.

The scenario is no different to what Girolami has been used to this season. The twice-Super TC2000 champion in his native Argentina had to learn almost every track from the Stock Car calendar - the only exceptions were Interlagos and Goiânia, where he had raced on last year.

"During the whole year I’ve been using the first free practices to get used to the circuits, so it is no different for me now - I think this is the first time I go to the car having no disadvantage regarding the other competitors", he said, praising the features of the track. "I liked it. It is very technical and demanding".

Qualifying takes place this Saturday. On Sunday, Race 1 begins at 1 pm (local time), and Race 2 at 2:10 pm.

Free Practice

Pos. Driver Team Model Best Lap Gap
1 63 Nestor Girolami Eisenbahn Racing Peugeot 1:52.593 -
2 80 Marcos Gomes Cimed Racing Peugeot 1:52.666 0.073
3 65 Max Wilson Eurofarma RC Chevrolet 1:52.780 0.187
4 88 Felipe Fraga Cimed Racing Peugeot 1:52.831 0.238
5 10 Ricardo Zonta Shell Racing Chevrolet 1:52.877 0.284
6 111 Rubens Barrichello Full Time Sports Chevrolet 1:52.950 0.357
7 77 Valdeno Brito TMG Racing Chevrolet 1:53.110 0.517
8 83 Gabriel Casagrande C2 Axalta Racing Chevrolet 1:53.180 0.587
9 12 Lucas Foresti Full Time-ProGP Chevrolet 1:53.194 0.601
10 90 Ricardo Mauricio Eurofarma RC Chevrolet 1:53.245 0.652
11 4 Julio Campos C2 Axalta Racing Chevrolet 1:53.266 0.673
12 46 Vitor Genz Eisenbahn Racing Peugeot 1:53.315 0.722
13 51 Átila Abreu Shell Racing Chevrolet 1:53.316 0.723
14 18 Allam Khodair Full Time Sports Chevrolet 1:53.438 0.845
15 110 Felipe Lapenna Hot Car Competições Chevrolet 1:53.452 0.859
16 73 Sergio Jimenez Cavaleiro Sports Peugeot 1:53.465 0.872
17 70 Diego Nunes União Química Racing Peugeot 1:53.666 1.073
18 28 Galid Osman Ipiranga-RCM Chevrolet 1:53.767 1.174
19 0 Cacá Bueno Red Bull Racing Chevrolet 1:53.773 1.180
20 8 Rafael Suzuki Vogel Motorsport Chevrolet 1:53.842 1.249
21 25 Tuka Rocha RZ Motorsport Chevrolet 1:53.934 1.341
22 5 Denis Navarro Vogel Motorsport Chevrolet 1:54.163 1.570
23 99 Xandynho Negrão Cavaleiro Sports Peugeot 1:54.182 1.589
24 117 Guilherme Salas RZ Motorsport Chevrolet 1:54.270 1.677
25 3 Bia Figueiredo União Química Racing Peugeot 1:54.436 1.843
26 26 Raphael Abbate Hot Car Competições Chevrolet 1:54.955 2.362
27 21 Thiago Camilo Ipiranga-RCM Chevrolet - -
28 29 Daniel Serra Red Bull Racing Chevrolet - -
29 9 Guga Lima TMG Racing Chevrolet - -

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