Photo: TCR South America

Leonel Pernía and Raphael Reis wins at El Pinar

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This weekend’s TCR South America races at El Pinar in Uruguay saw championship leader Leonel Pernía winning the first race while Raphael Reis won the second reversed-grid race.

The Honda YPF Racing duo of Nelson Piquet Jr. and Leonel Pernía occupied the front row for Race 1, but just like in the last race weekend it was Leonel Pernía who made the best start.

Piquet Jr. tried his best to reclaim the lead throughout the race, but to no avail.

There was a fight for third place as well between Pedro Cardoso (Peugeot), Fabián Yannantuoni (Lynk & Co) Juan Manuel Casella (Honda) and Reis (Cupra).

The quartet swapped places and traded paint several times, a fight which was interrupted by the safety car on lap eight as Enzo Gianfratti had hit the wall.

The race resumed six laps later, only for the safety car to return shortly after as Toyota drivers María Nienkötter and Tomász Fernández made contact.

This meant that the field finished the race behind the safety car, handing victory to Leonel Pernía ahead of team-mate Piquet Jr. while PMO Racing driver Cardoso claimed the final podiu spot.

Casella came home in fourth ahead of Yannantouni and Reis.

Carlos Silva started the second race from the reversed-grid pole position, but was soon overtaken by Reis who started second.

And the Cupra driver maintained the lead throughout the race, despite a safety car session on lap eight to recover the stranded Peugeot of Joaquín Cafaro.

As the race resumed, a hard fight developed for second place between Cardoso, Juan Ángel Rosso and Leonel Pernía.

Title contenders Cardoso and Leonel Pernía made contact in the fight for second, resulting in a retirement for points leader Leonel Pernía while Cardoso, who is placed second overall, dropped down to finish fourth.

Reis claimed a commanding first win of 2025, finishing more than eight seconds ahead of Lynk & Co 03 TCR driver Rosso while Benjamin Hites rounded off the podium for PMO Racing Peugeot.

Tiago Pernía finished fifth behind Cardoso while Adrián Chirano rounded off the top six.

Leonel Pernía has still got a commanding points lead, heading Cardoso by 95 points while Piquet Jr. is third a further 26 points hehind.

Curvelo in Brazil is next up for the TCR South America field on August 15-17.