Photo: STC2000 Media

Mariano Werner wins dramatic qualifying race in Rafaela

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Team Peugeot Total Argentina’s Mariano Werner won the Super TC 2000 qualifying race at the Rafaela oval circuit. After a chaotic nine-lap sprint, he took victory ahead of Chevrolet YPF’s Agustín Canapino and Citroën Total Racing’s Martín Moggia.

Facundo Ardusso of Renault Sport and Canapino had secured the front row for the qualifying race. The Renault driver stalled his Fluence on the formation lap, but could regain his place on the grid.

Ardusso held onto the lead at the start, followed by Canapino. At turn 2, Werner pulled off a daring move and jumped from third to the lead, leaving Ardusso in second. Chapur took his chance and overtook Canapino for third as well, meters later.

Not long after, Werner braked too late opening lap 2 and missed the first chicane, giving up the lead back to Ardusso’s hands.

Esteban Guerrieri of Citroën Total Racing retired on lap four, as Ardusso tried to open a gap over the Peugeots of Chapur, now in second, and Werner, in third.

Ardusso’s hopes were devastated when his front right tyre blew, forcing him out of the race on lap six. Leonel Pernía, his team-mate, suffered the same issue seconds after and went back to the pits. Team Peugeot Total Argentina had to overcome the same problema with Fabián Yannantuoni’s car.

Meanwhile, Werner pulled off another strong move, this time on the outside, and took the lead from Chapur for a second time. Chapur went into trouble one lap later – his front right tyre blew and he was forced to retire from second, allowing Fineschi to move up to third. Toyota’s Gabriel Ponce de León reached claimed fifth, behind Moggia.

Werner took the victory from Canapino, as Moggia claimed third place over the line, overtaking Fineschi’s Ford Focus III. Ponce de León finished fifth, followed by Citroën Total Racing’s José Manuel Urcera and Team Peugeot Total Argentina’s Matías Muñoz Marchesi.

Emiliano Spataro of Renault Sport, and Bernardo Llaver and Manuel Mallo from Chevrolet YPF rounded off the top ten. Super TC2000 will hold its feature race on Sunday at 12:20 local time.