Pflucker claims an authoritative maiden win in Río Cuarto’s Race 2

Rodrigo Pflucker won the second race of TCR South America at Río Cuarto on a wet track. The Peruvian driver put in a great performance at the wheel of his Hyundai i30 N, controlling the attacks of Race 1 winner Ever Franetovich in the first part of the race and then shaking off the Lynk & Co of the Argentine to build a comfortable gap during the last four laps. Franetovich’s teammate Ernesto Bessone completed the podium ahead of Pepe Oriola who survived a first-turn pile up and benefitted from the exclusion of his rival in the title fight Rodrigo Baptista.
At the start, both Roy Block and Adalberto Baptista who shared the front row of the top-ten reversed grid had a slow getaway. Oriola and his teammate Raphael Reis managed to pass Block and Baptista to lead the field into Turn 1, however Rodrigo Baptista hit the back of Reis’ Honda triggering a chain reaction. Reis’ car was pushed into Oriola’s that collected the other Honda of José Manuel Sapag, while Reis clashed with Adalberto Baptista’s Audi. All four cars went wide on the grass and rejoined, except for Sapag’s Honda that remained stranded in the gravel, prompting the safety car into action.
When racing resumed, in lap 3, Facundo Marques was leading in one of the Squadra Martino Honda, ahead of Bessone, Pflucker and Franetovich; Rodrigo Baptista and Oriola followed in fifth and sixth several seconds behind the leading quartet. In lap 5, Pflucker and Franetovich took advantage from the fight between Marques and Bessone to pass them both into Turn 1. Moments later, Rodrigo Baptista was shown the black flag for having caused the incident at the start and so Oriola was promoted to fifth.
As Pflucker and Franetovich continued fighting for the lead, Marques pitted with a flat front-right tyre and Bessone lost contact. Pflucker managed to reject Franetovich’s attacks and eventually built a gap of a few seconds during the last few laps on his way to claim his maiden win ahead of Franetovich and Bessone.
Oriola’s fourth place means that he now leads Rodrigo Baptista by 13 points in the standings.
TCR South America championship will resume at Buenos Aires on November 12/13 with an endurance race.

Río Cuarto – Race 2
1. Rodrigo Pflucker (Perú Racing Team, Hyundai i30 N), 20 laps
2. Ever Franetovich (PMO Motorsport, Lynk & Co 03), 8.723
3. Ernesto Bessone (PMO Motorsport, Lynk & Co 03), 15.220
4. Pepe Oriola (W2 Racing, Honda Civic Type R FK7), 15.681
5. Rafael Reis (W2 Racing, Honda Civic Type R FK7), 27.341

Championship points
1. P. Oriola 175 pts; 2. R. Baptista 162; 3. R. Reis 129

Picture: TCR South America/Renzo Carletti