Photo: Super TC 2000 Media

Norberto Fontana takes shock win on series return at Rafaela

Equipo YPF Chevrolet driver Norberto Fontana won on his return to the Super TC 2000 Championship, his first race in the series since 2011, before the Radical V8 engines came in two years ago. The former Formula 1 driver finished ahead of the fancied Peugeot 408 of Néstor Girolami, which along with team-mate Agustín Canapino, had dominated proceedings this weekend.

The two Peugeots started on the front row of the race with Girolami ahead of Canapino. They both held station at the green flag, but Canapino braked too late for the chicane on the back straight and was forced to cut it, falling to fourth behind the Fiat of Mariano Werner and Fontana’s Chevrolet.

The Peugeots still had incredible pace, with the junior team drivers joining the fight at the front as well. Damian Fineschi charged past Facundo Ardusso’s Fiat Linea for fifth, with his team-mate Facundo Chapur following him right through on lap six, but this was all undone a lap later when Fineschi spun off at the same corner and was unable to restart, bringing out the first safety car.

After the restart, Canapino passed Fontana for third into the first corner on lap 11, with Chapur following through to briefly hold fourth spot, but Fontana was able to get back ahead of the young Peugeot driver before the end of the lap and then began to close back in on Canapino.

Second placed Mariano Werner suddenly lost pace on lap 15, falling behind Canapino and Fontana, while Renault’s race went from nondescript to a non-event with Leonel Pernía and Fabian Yannatuoni both suffering front-right punctures in quick succession on lap 16.

On lap 18, Fontana took second from Canapino, who was not struggling for pace with an apparent slow puncture. Fontana then took the lead from Girolami two laps later, with the safety car out almost immediately after the only other Chevrolet in the race, that of Franco Vivian, stopped out on circuit.

With three laps added behind the safety car, there was a two lap dash for the chequered flag, but Fontana held a safe distance to take the win ahead of Girolami, with Peugeots finishing second, third and fourth with rookies Julián Santero third and Facundo Chapur fourth.

Mariano Werner finished fifth, the highest placed of the Fiat drivers, leading his two team-mates Christian Ledesma and Farcundo Ardusso, while Emiliano Spataro rescued something for Renault with eighth position.

It was also a disastrous race for Toyota, with Agustín Calamari the best placed for the team in ninth, with Bernardo Llaver, Esteban Guerrieri and Matías Rossi all failing to make the finish.

Franco Riva completed the top ten in his independently entered Peugeot 408, with the Renaults of Guillermo Ortelli and Leonel Pernía 11th and 12th, and Canapino finishing as the last driver on the lead lap down in 16th.

The next round of the Championship is at Viedma on 13th April.