Photo: TC2000 Media

Yannantuoni takes win at Potrero de los Funes

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Fabian Yannantuoni has taken victory for Ford-YPF at Potrero de los Funes, whilst a high speed crash on the second lap involving José María López and Matías Rossi derails the Toyota driver’s Championship chances.

Yannantuoni had started from pole after winning his qualifying heat in the morning ahead of Peugeot Cobra Team’s Facundo Ardusso, and the two held position at the start of the race.

Fiat driver Emiliano Spataro was elimited after a few corners after contact with the Chevrolet Cruze of Christian Ledesma, with Spataro’s damaged Linea left stranded at the side of the circuit.

Damian Fineschi in the independent Orbis Seguros Racing Honda Civic started third, but slipped behind the second Ford-YPF Focus of Juan Manuel Silva at the start of the second lap.

Further on in the lap, there was contact between the Sportteam Renault Fluence of Guido Falaschi and the Fiat Linea of José María Lopez. The out of control López was sent through the next corner, where he collected the rear of Championship leader Matías Rossi’s Toyota Corolla at high speed, destroying López’s car and forcing Rossi into the pits to retire with damaged rear suspension

An angry López gesticulated to the Sportteam driver as the cars came around on the next lap under the control of the safety car.

At the restart, a fired up Agustín Canapino in the Chevrolet Cruze began his charge to the front, passing the works Renault Fluence of Mauro Giallombardo for sixth and then fighting side-by-side for the best part of a lap with the Equipo Fiat Oil Combustibles car of Gabriel Ponce De León, eventually slotting into fifth, with Giallambardo also able to sneak past Ponce De León at the same time.

The safety car was called again after a heavy crash for Alejandro Gonzalez in the independent DP-1 Team Ford Focus on lap four. Gonzalez was passing the JP Racing Chevrolet Vectra of Pedro Gentile, and was just clipped in the rear by Gentile, with Gonzalez spinning off at full speed into the tyre barrier and requiring medical assistance.

During the safety car period, the fourth placed Honda of Fineschi retired with a mechanical problem promoting Canapino a further position. The Chevrolet driver was quick to pass Juan Manuel Silva’s Ford at the restart for third but was unable to match the pace of Fabian Yannantuoni and the Peugeot 307 of Facundo Ardusso, with Yannantuoni going on to take his first win of the season in TC 2000.

With Rossi’s retirement and team-mate Mariano Werner finishing in 11th, Leonel Pernía jumps from third to the lead of the Championship for the Equipo Petrobras Honda team on 170.5 points with Werner on 168.5 and Rossi slipping to third staying on 166.5, with one race to go at Paraná on December 4th.