Fontana completes perfect weekend

After a troubled start in Uruguay, former champion Norberto Fontana repaid Ford YPF’s confidence by winning pole in the qualifying race and converting it into a win.

Equipe Petrobras Honda Racing complete the podium with Leonel Pernía taking second ahead of Nestor Girolami.

Fontana had a better start this time than in the sprint race, and maintained the lead, the most significant change at the start was Girolami managing to pass the Chevrolet Vectra of Guillermo Ortelli this time without incident.

On Lap 5, frought contact in the back of the field with Honda’s Mariano Ultuna battling Renault’s Matías Rossi, results in the Renault driver slamming into the back of the Honda Civic, earning Rossi a drive through penalty.

Facundo Ardusso’s speed in qualifying didn’t turn into a representative result, mainly due the series newcomers inexperience with touring car race craft. After battling with Ford YPF’s Gabriel Ponce de Leon, the Toyota driver let through the other Ford of Martin Basso as well as the Cobra Peugeot of Luis José Di Palma, who was having a great run in only the team’s second race.

Ardusso would eventually repass Di Palma & Basso before the end of the race.

The battle between Werner & López as seen in the sprint race resumed, but this time it only took 9 laps before the reigning champion managed to get past. López would proceed to get past Emiliano Spataro’s Fiat & Christian Ledesma’s Chevrolet unhindered, but ran out of time to close down Ortelli, and would finish in fifth.

Up front, the top four ran steady, with Girolami briefly threatening to pass his Honda Racing team mate for second, before falling back in the later stages.

Norberto Fontana went on to secure a significant victory for Ford, and showed Honda may not have it all their own way this season after all.