Agustín Canapino leads the race in Concepción del Uruguay in March of this year. Photo: Juan Pablo Gianini
Perhaps it is the most difficult thing that has been heard in recent times in the world of Argentine motorsports. At least publicly, of course. There have been a series of complaints that conspire against the freedom of action in the business, with crossings of responsibility and even a certain complicity, according to the harsh opinions heard.
Just as in different areas, and especially in vernacular politics, notorious differences, called “cracks” are perceived, also Argentine motoring is traced by one, which has divided the activity for many years. Even if it seems that only now are starting to hear voices that undress her.
National motorsports are made up of the group that belongs to the categories that are under the wing of the Automobile Sports Commission (CDA) of the Argentine Automobile Club (ACA), and the other, made up of the disciplines that respond to the interests of the Association Motorway Tourist Corridors (ACTC).
The body that has representation before the International Automobile Federation (FIA) is the ACA. If a football analogy is allowed, the ACA would be like the Argentine Football Association (AFA) against the International Associated Football Federation (FIFA). But in motorsports, the ACTC, with highway tourism as its flag, became strongoccupying a post of power left “vacant” by the ACA itself.
The question was raised in the “Escudería Carburando” program, broadcast by TyC Sports, where in addition to presenting the question, very harsh voices were heard in the face of this reality that, despite the protagonists and those involved do not admit it, most of they, openly, are victims of a very special situation, since it went so far as to prohibit pilots from participating in both groupsand also a work of “inviting” the pilots is done in a sustained way so that they no longer participate “on the other side”.
The topic, since its presentation, has had enormous repercussions. On the one hand, Javier Ciabattari, head of the TC2000 FDC team, accused the engineer Carlos García Remohí, head of the ACA board of directors, of a certain ineffectiveness that borders on complicity in this situation of antagonisms against the ACTC.
“The big problem is called Carlos García Remohi,” said Javier Ciabattari.
“Crack is not TC2000 against Turismo Carretera. It is the Argentine-FIA Automobile Club and the ACTC. That’s where the division takes place. but here it is the big deal with full name and his name is García Remohí. I read a note that they made to him, I believe in Carburando, where he said he was happy because there were many trucks and many cars at the TC ”, Ciabattari expressed bluntly on the“ Escudería Carburando ”program.
And he added: “Obviously the one who has to defend us, the one who represents us and says out there that his category is the TC2000, he really doesn’t give a damn. I don’t wonder why he says it. He who knows how long he says it “.
Secondly, Ernesto Bessone, one of the great champions of national motorsport and now a driver of a national touring team, he complained of a tyrannical maneuver by the ACTC, forcing drivers to cross the curb under threat.
“The crack exists. And I say this does not match. The pilot, who is the one who is looking for the sponsor, has the right to choose. And if he can run in any category, he can do it. It doesn’t seem right for a leader to come and say ‘yes and no in this case’ “, said Bessone, who added:” It happened to me. With National Tourism. Drivers who had to leave because they had to race in some other category, specifically the ACTC ”.
Tito Bessone, with his pilot son and grandson, who bear his name.
The topic exploded in the motorsport environment. The subject, a secret of Pulcinella, has been exposed. And little by little the different players of national motorsport come out to express themselves.
The new “strong man” of the local business is Alejandro Levy, who together with his brother Diego drove the Top Race category and now have joined the TC2000.
The leader stressed: “I cannot deny or claim that I have some sort of pressure from the ACTC. if I can tell many pilots wanted to be part of the Top Race and the TC2000 and two days later for a strange circumstance, for strange reasons they retired. This is something everyone knows, journalism, drivers, teams. Why do they pass and where did they come from? I can’t say for sure, but everyone knows him intimately. It doesn’t make sense that a driver can’t be part of a category “.
Hugo Mazzacane, head of the ACTC, also spoke, and in the face of the accusations he reached the crossroads: dissociating himself from the accusations with great diplomacy: “It seems to me that the growth of the ACTC is natural. I will not analyze these kinds of statements because I think what we need to work on is to further improve the national motorsport we have ”, and he added:“ The drivers don’t ask me if they can race in other categories. The pilots are not categories, they run where they want. I cannot tell a driver to stop racing in the TC and move on to another category. The protagonists put money and go to run where they like best ”, he concluded.
The president of the ACTC, Hugo Mazzacane.
With the “on” in silence, in the “off the record” the majority approves that these characteristics marked by the aforementioned protagonists are “ventilated”. However, inaction dominates the scene. Whether someone else says it, I keep my business, is the thought that stands out in the business.
Perhaps it is not even a coincidence that those who have come out to break the silence, like Bessone and Ciabattari, are two personalities “condemned” by the ACTC. And in the face of that, there is nothing to lose. The rest, as far as it coincides, mostly take refuge in silence. Who is certainly complicit in the situation if he thinks otherwise but does not act or manifests itself accordingly. “Crack exists, the easiest thing is to shut up,” said Bessone.
The overwhelming and equal, according to many, unscrupulous actions of the ACTC, and passivity, for some almost complicit in the ACA, have provided fertile ground for an ever-deeper crack in national motorsports.
Just as he was accused, the same victims are the protagonists who suffer from this present of national motoring. Although the current system acts to the detriment of its interests.
“Divided TV made us lose our strength”
Crack in motorsports is not a new topic, although it has now found its sounding board. Indeed, the issue began in February 2012, when the national government, then chaired by Cristina Fernández de Kirchner but executed by Vice President Amado Boudou, created “Motoring for all”, something similar to what happened with football, and that it still remains on the public TV screen today.
Since that agreement between the Association of Motorway Tourist Corridors (ACTC), chaired by Oscar Aventin, and the National Government, motoring was divided on the television screen, since until then national activity had been channeled through Carburando production, on the screens of El Trece and TyC Sports.
Since then, the TC 2000 and its categories, such as the Top Race, have kept their place at Carburando, while the ACTC has brought its disciplines, with Road Tourism as the spearhead, to public TV.
Speaking of the “crack in national motorsport, the driver Facundo Ardusso commented:“ The fact that motorsport is divided makes us lose our strength, specifically that it is in two different channels. The inspection (ACA and ACTC) has been like this all my life. But when the television was divided, we lost our strength. He split up and that’s not good. “
Source: Clarin
