Photo: RAM Racing

Damián Fineschi wins the qualifying race at San Juan

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RAM Racing’s Damián Fineschi won the qualifying race for the Argentinian Super TC 2000 Championship at the “El Zonda” circuit in San Juan. The privateer driver led Mariano Werner, driving for Team Peugeot Total Argentina, with championship leader Facundo Ardusso third for Renault Sport.

Ardusso had set the fastest time in qualifying ahead of Werner and Fineschi, but the championship-based grid penalty system promoted Fineschi and Ardusso’s Renault team-mate Ignacio Julian to the front row for qualifying race, with Matías Rossi of Toyota Gazoo Racing and Matías Muñoz Marchesi, driving for Peugeot.

Championship leader Ardusso was relegated to eighth on the grid, with main rival Agustín Canapino down in eleventh in his Chevrolet Cruze.

Fineschi held onto the lead at the start ahead of Julián, while title contender Mariano Werner moved up to fourth from sixth on the grid, helped by his team mate Muñoz Marchesi, while Rossi remained in third.

Werner overtook Rossi for third easily into Turn 1 at the start of the second lap, and soon repeated the manoeuvre on Julían’s Renault to take second.

Fineschi was maintaining a 1.5 second advantage to Werner, who was now pulling away from Julián, while Rossi was fighting to hold onto fourth from Ardusso, but ultimately lost the position.

After 12 laps, Fineschi won the race just over a second clear of Werner, while Ardusso was promoted to third as team-mate Julián allowed him past for the final spot on the podium.

The grid for the feature race at 12:10 ART on Sunday is as the result of today’s qualifying race.