Nextel Cup 9th round in Buenos Aires: extra training session added to official schedule
The third Stock Car participation in Argentina begins officially this Friday, at 9 a.m. at Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez. This is the ninth Nextel Cup round, and both teams and drivers will face an extra practice session, making it a total of 3 sessions. This special round in Argentina also marks the 1st Playoff round. The race is on Sunday at 11 a.m. with live, national transmission on Rede Globo.
The no.9 circuit chosen for this race is new to the category and presents a challenge for the Nextel Cup drivers, thus they will have 40 minutes to adapt in an extra training session. After the reconnaissance, there will be two 90 min. sessions, with a 28 lap maximum for each. The Qualifying Practice will take place on Saturday, from 11:00 to 12:30, with a maximum of 16 laps, and the Super Qualifying, with the 10 best qualified drivers, from 12h50 to 13:00, which defines Sunday’s pole position.
For the driver Thiago Camilo, Texaco Vogel Motorsport (Chevrolet), the no.9 circuit will raise the bar for the race on Sunday. He had the opportunity of driving on the track last week due to his participation in the 200 Km in Buenos Aires, which is part of the official TC2000 category. “In 2005 and 2006, we used the outer ring, where the luck and engine factors count a lot more than they do now, as we are driving a larger circuit, with an inside composed of high and low speed curves that require a mix of strong and slow braking. It is a much more technical and selective track, where as well as the driver’s skill, the team must be spot on with car adjustments”, Camilo explains.
The four final rounds - Buenos Aires (ARG), Tarumã (RS), on the 28th of October; Rio de Janeiro, 18th of November; and São Paulo, 9th of December - are of utmost importance to the 10 Playoff drivers that are still running for the title. After all, the 2007 Nextel Cup season will end with a twist. Only the top 16 teams will be allowed to continue next year, which demands everything it takes from both teams and drivers to stay on for the 2008 Nextel Cup season.
