Agustín Canapino keeps title hopes alive with Chile victory

Agustín Canapino won the penultimate round of the 2014 Argentinian Super TC 2000 Championship in Codegua, Chile for the Peugeot Lo Jack Team, finishing ahead of Renault’s Leonel Pernía and his own Peugeot team-mate Néstor Girolami, who now has a healthy lead in the standings going into the final round of the season.

Leonel Pernía led the race during the early stages from pole position, having won in the qualifying heats in the morning, ahead of Esteban Guerrieri’s Toyota and Julían Santero’s Peugeot, with Canapino at this point in fourth.

Canapino moved ahead of outgoing team-mate Santero on lap three, who was confirmed earlier this week as leaving Peugeot at the end of this season to be replaced by Renault’s Fabian Yannantuoni.

Pernía and Guerrieri battled hard for the lead until Guerrieri’s suspension failed on lap six, promoting Canapino to second.

Canapino closed and passed Pernía for the lead, who was now forced to defend hard against Santero’s Peugeot 408, while Girolami continued to work his way forward and overtook his team-mate to secure the final spot on the podium, with Peugeots finish 1-2-4 and taking vital points in their manufacturers’ battle, which they continue to lead ahead of Renault, the only other manufacturer in contention.

Pernía’s second place moves him up to second in the standings on 161.5 points, 24.5 points adrift of Girolami, with Canapino now up to third after his win, 27 points behind.

Norberto Fontana finished in ninth place, which means he’s now 35 points behind with exactly 35 points available at the season finale, meaning the former champion would need to secure pole and win the race, with points leader Girolami not scoring all weekend in order to claim his third title.

The season finale takes place at Potrero de los Funes at San Luis in three weeks time.