Fabian Yannantuoni leads Peugeot 1-2 in San Martín

Team Peugeot Total Argentina closed off a perfect weekend after Fabián Yannantuoni took his factory 408 to another win, followed by team-mate Mariano Werner, while reigning champion Agustín Canapino from Chevrolet YPF completed the podium.

After a sunny morning in San Martín, province of Mendoza, in the west of Argentina and close to the frontier with Chile, the sky started to cloud over just before the race.

Yannantuoni kept the lead from Werner at the start, while Damian Fineschi was in third as Renault’s Facundo Ardusso overtook Canapino for fourth.

After starting 29th and last, Facundo Chapur was up to 21st after two laps, after having been excluded from qualifying race.

Chapur took his joker laps as soon as he hit traffic, and immediately climbed up to eighth.

Citroën’s Martín Moggia used his first joker lap on lap five and took the lead of the race, but Yannantuoni overtook the Citroën and regained the lead on lap seven, as Chapur took his second joker lap which allowed him to take second place.

Facundo Ardusso then suffered engine problems and retired from the race, while Conta, who had dropped back to 19th, collided with Renault Sport’s Emiliano Spataro.

Matías Rossi from Toyota Gazoo Racing Argentina was up into the top ten after overtaking Luciano Farroni from Escudería Fela by RAM Racing, but on lap 18 he suffered an electrical issue which forced him into the pits and out of the race.

Yannantuoni had pulled up to seven seconds of gap over Chapur and Mallo, remaining leader on track and also the first of those who hadn’t taken any of joker laps along with Werner.

On lap 25 Fineschi put a move on Werner and overtook him for fifth, with Renault driver Spataro also passing him, dropping him back to seventh, while Toyota’s Gabriel Ponce de León retired from 18th place after spinning off.

Canapino took his first joker lap on lap 27 and moved up to second, but now Yannantuoni had more than ten seconds of gap over Chapur, virtually one joker lap attempt.

Moggia took his second joker lap on lap 28, moving up to second ahead of Fineschi, who now took his first one while trying to catch Yannantuoni.

Yannantuoni then took his two joker laps in short succession on laps 29 and 30, opening a gap of more than 16 seconds of gap over Fineschi.

Spataro moved up to third when he did his remaining joker lap, but Canapino then kicked him off of the podium when taking his last joker.

Fineschi’s hope of a podium disappeared when he retired on the last lap with an engine failure.

Yannantuoni closed the race with a 17 second gap over Werner, repeating Saturday’s 1-2 for Team Peugeot Total Argentina, with Canapino completing the podium.

Moggia achieved his best result so far in the series by finishing in fourth, ahead of Spataro and Chapur.

Bernardo Llaver from Chevrolet YPF arrived home in seventh ahead of his team-mate Manuel Mallo.

Matías Muñoz Marchesi finished in ninth in his factory Peugeot 408, as Pernía completed the top ten.

The Super TC 2000’s fourth round takes place in Rosario at the “Juan Manuel Fangio” circuit, on May 21st. With his second place, Mariano Werner takes the championship lead with 47 points, ahead of Canapino on 42 and Chapur with 38.