Hear
The strategy and error of those who were preparing to fight for victory promoted victory. Esteban Gini broke the spell at the Rafaela racetrack, where Turismo Carretera retraced the seventh episode of the Regular Stage of the championship: the driver from Quilmes signed his first victory in the category, after 107 presentationsand Maquin Parts celebrated consecutively in the year, since the team based in Venado Tuerto won with Germán Todino (Ford Mustang) in Concepción del Uruguay, 21 days ago. The success was the second in the history of Toyota Camry, after the historic celebration that Matías Rossi sealed, on July 23 of last year at the Villicum, in San Juan. For him TubeIn addition to the sporting achievement, it was added the economic prize and won the 8 million pesos distributed by the traditional Million Race.
“With the team we risked always going in suction and I think that benefited us when it came to reaching the end of the race better. I could always do the curved thoroughly and that was our advantage. I took advantage of that dislike that Diego had [Ciantini] and Christian [Ledesma] and I passed them to win,” said Gini, who is the eighth driver who needed the most races to achieve his first success in the TC; The list is headed by José Savino, who was registered among the winners after 196 dates. “It took many years of effort and dedication to get to this. It was a race that I ran breathlessly, trying to navigate the curved thoroughly, playing with the wall and the ground… I had won in all the ACTC categories, I was missing this one: that’s it, I did it. I won in the TC, I can’t ask for more“, said the 34-year-old from Quilm, who in 2011 debuted at the TC Pista Mouras, with Dodge.
The scene hit with four laps to go, with the mistake made in one of the chicanes by Ledesma and Ciantini (Chevrolet), who started in the front row, although the experienced driver from Mar del Plata with the Camaro defeated the young man from Balcarce, who during the morning won the qualifying series with the shortest time and was the one who had the privileged position for the final race. A braking out of space, the slightest error and Gini’s acuity to attack and jump from third place to the head of the race.
“He joined strongly and that is important, although he escaped us again [el triunfo]. I think we had the potential to win, when Christian went over I went over with him in the reference. I look at the glass half full and I hope that victory comes with the Camaro,” analyzed Ciantini who, from the next date, in Posadas, on July 7, will drive a New Generation car. Ledesma was not complete either, although the podium showed him to be current and competitive: “It was a good weekend, but I’m not going to lie. I’m not happy, because I was winning the race. I ran out of brakes on laps four or five and the car started to skid and slam, that’s why I went too far in the chicane,” lamented the 2007 champion.
Four of the five brands competing in the TC share the victories in the 2024 calendar. Toyota, with the Camry model, joined Torino –Nueva Generación-, which celebrated at the season premiere in Calafate; Ford did it with the cars of both generations: the Falcon took victory in Viedma and Neuquén, with Julián Santero and José Manuel Urcera, respectively; the three-time champion Mariano Werner and Todino did it with Mustang, in Toay and in Concepción del Uruguay. Valentín Aguirre brought a smile to Chevrolet fans, although the Camaro still has no triumphs: in Rafaela, Ledesma achieved the first pole for the prototype that renews the category’s vehicle fleet. Only Dodge did not climb to the top of the podium: the Challenger appears at a disadvantage among the new examples and the traditional model has not won since the 2023 Coronation Grand Prix, in San Juan.
The best Ford user classified in Rafaela was Julián Santero, who with eighth place remains at the head of the championship, with 221 points; Gini, with the victory, climbed to fifth place, with 182 units. With three dates ahead for the end of the Regular Stage, the Posadas, Villicum and Buenos Aires circuits will be the settings that will define the 12 drivers who will qualify for the Gold Cup, the five-date mini tournament that will consecrate the champion . Gini is part of the select group and in addition to the glory he added millions.
THE NATION
