Photo: TCR South America

Reis and Foresti wins TCR South America opener at Interlagos

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The Cupra duo of Raphael Reis and Lucas Foresti won the 2024 TCR South America opener at Interlagos in Brazil, beating the Peugeot duo of Pedro Cardoso and Celso Neto by less than a second after 46 laps.

Foresti drove the first stint and claimed the lead of the race at mid-point of the first half of the race, with the endurance race being split into two 40-minute sessions with a 20-minute break inbetween.

Reis took over the wheel of the W2 Pro GP-prepared Cupra Leon VZ TCR as the race restarted for the final part, heading team-mate Galid Osman.

But Osman started to drop down the order, being passed by PMO Full Time Sports driver Cardoso and pole sitter Ignacio Montenegro (Honda).

The safety car was called onto the track on lap 43 as Rafael Suzuki (Lynk & Co) hit the tyre wall at Laranjinha.

The race resumed just a lap later which saw a three-car incident between Montenegro (Honda), Osman (Cupra) and Caca Bueno (Peugeot).

Caca tried to pass both Bueno and Montenegro, resulting in an early end to the race for all three drivers. The stewards however found Montenegro as the driver causing the incident, disqualifying him from the race.

Disaster also struck the Paladini Racing-prepared Toyotas of Rosso/Marques, Yannantuoni/Bordas and Pezzini/Bessone as they ran low on fuel on the last lap, dropping them from the top five to finish seventh, ninth and tenth respectively.

Reis crossed the finishing line seven tenths ahead of Cardoso, with the second W2 Pro GP Cupra of Guilherme Reischl and Guilherme Salas claiming the final podium position.

The Toyota duo of Thiago Vivacqua and Nicolas Costa finished fourth for Cobra Racing Team while Lynk & Co drivers Lucas Fecury and Arthur Leist came home in fifth for PMO Full Time Sports.

Former F1 driver Norberto Fontana and Felipe Malhuy (Toyota) rounded off the top six, 13 seconds from the winning duo.

The next TCR South America round takes place at Cascavel on May 25-26.