Manu Urcera scored a double in the Turismo Carretera: he won in Neuquén and is the new leader of the championship

From start to finish he won Jose Manuel Urcera the final of the third event of the season Road tourismaired this Sunday Neuquen. Rio Negro, champion of the category in 2022, was the great dominator on Sunday with one ford of the team Emanuele Moriatis Competitionhe celebrated his first victory of the season and became the new championship leader.

Urcera, who won the third series of the morning (the fastest) and secured first place on the starting grid, was escorted to the podium by dodge From Elio Craparo AND Jonathan Castellano.

“I am happy and grateful to the whole group who did an incredible job and who works so hard on every part of the car,” celebrated the one born 32 years ago in San Antonio Oeste, who put an end to a drought of 19 races without victories. The last one was on 30 October 2022 at San Nicolás, with Torino.

It was a test with few emotions at the Autodromo del Centenario. Urcera started in front, followed by Craparo and Juan Cruz Welcome (Chevrolet). But the speed didn’t last long after that Facundo Chapur He went through the first bend, Giuliano Santero He couldn’t avoid hitting him and the Safety Car came out. Ford of Mendoza had to leave.

It was the only interruption in a match which was restarted shortly after and which still had Urcera in the lead. On the ninth lap Castellano took advantage of a mistake by Benvenuti to overtake him and move into third place. He left Rio Negro and Craparo behind, positions he held until the end.

“A small mistake by Benvenuti, but it was enough to be able to take this third place, which is fundamental. We needed this result after two races in which we hadn’t managed to recover,” acknowledged Castellano.

Craparo, however, closed his best weekend in his history in the TC and reached the podium for the first time in his 18th race in the category.

“I’m immensely happy. I fought for a good classification, I won my first series in the TC and I fought for a race. I think Manu was a little more firm at the start. We were both at ten points, it was a question of detail. It was a race to be classified in 25 laps and the truth is that it is tiring but it is a pleasure to race like this,” commented the driver from Chacabuco.

Craparo was fast, but it wasn’t enough for him to overtake an intractable Urcera, who celebrated the victory with enthusiasm and had many reasons to do so. As well as putting an end to that uncelebrated streak in the category, he came away satisfied with the car’s performance on the Neuquén circuit.

“We started the first race running well but not excellent and it took a lot of work to get to this point. We have worked a lot since the beginning of this project. Here we had optimal performance in the car. It was fantastic,” he analyzed in a chat with Carburetion. “In qualifying I placed sixth and I was hot because it wasn’t ideal. But it’s a difficult circuit to make an ideal lap. However, in the most important moment of the weekend, which was Sunday, we didn’t fail.”

“Today we are in a very good situation, but we understand that there is still a lot to evolve and improve. We have a very good and hungry group, which is the important thing. And I am more eager than ever to do well,” He added. .

And he also celebrated by taking off a heavy backpack, to face the rest of the championship with one less worry.

“Achieving that victory so quickly that they ask you to aspire to the scudetto is a peace of mind,” he admitted. “Sometimes it’s a bit of a pebble that, when you’ve worked well but you don’t know what’s happening or what’s happening, starts to make noise. I remember that in 2019 I only won on date 6 or 7 and before that every race was uncertain.”

Urcera became the 14th winner in 14 races held by Turismo Carretera on this circuit and gave the Moriatis team their second victory in the category, after the one obtained Otto Fritzler In Río Hondo hot springslast year.

After arriving in Neuquén in third place in the championship – after placing third in Calafate and fifth in Viedma -, he rose to the top of the standings, which he occupies with 113.5 points. Second gear Esteban Gini (Toyota), with 101.5, and third, the reigning champion, Mariano Werner (Mustang), with 100 units.

“We managed to win with great strength, now we carry a few kilos and we will go to La Pampa to try to win again,” he anticipated.

The next appointment, at the racetrack Todayit will be played on April 28th.