^{The record is good and the motivation is even better for the next round of Stock Car, which will be held in Interlagos on Sunday, 25. Photo: Cleocinei Zonta}

The phase is great for Prati-Donaduzzi´s team. The record is good and the motivation is even better for the next round of Stock Car, which will be held in Interlagos on Sunday, 25.

The most important and disputed round of the season, the Million Race, comes full of challenges and new rules to further scramble race strategies. However, the expectations of #equiperoxa are high. Valdeno Brito, from Paraíba, was the champion of the first Million Race in 2008.

Julio Campos is in the third position of the championship and comes from three excellent rounds, adding three podiums, including a victory, as well as a pole position. With this performance and motivation, the goal is to run after the $1million in Sao Paulo.

“Winning the first million race was special. It was a long-awaited race, the only one worth $1 million, with a crowded race circuit in Rio de Janeiro. It was also my first truly unforgettable victory in Stock. The expectation is to win again this one million on Sunday! The team's last pole position in Interlagos was mine in 2015. The team is in a very good moment. Of course, this race is always unpredictable, but we will work hard to win again, says Valdeno Brito.

Julio Campos also wants to take $1 million dollars home, but he does not take the focus off what is the most important: add points to get closer to the leading racer.

“We have reached the most anticipated race of the year, with great repercussion and expectation from everyone. Making a good performance is very important. Certainly, all drivers and teams are very focused on getting their cars right so they can get a good time and start in front. We are in advantage, coming to Sao Paulo with podium in the last three rounds, with very fast cars and great time taken. We will continue this work and reach this victory. The most important thing remains being to get a better position in the championship table and get closer to the leading racer”, says the racer who last year's Interlagos round was not pole position for only 0s005.

New rules for the competition will make the favorite racers´ lives harder

Vicar, Stock Car promoter, has announced new rules that will apply only to the Million Race round. These include performing the four-step qualifying training, not the three as usual: in Q1 the fastest 15 move to Q2, then the fastest six to Q3, and what's new is that Q4 is the average of the best laps of the racers. In addition, cars will have to race without changes, that is, with the same tires and the same amount of fuel they finish the qualifying step.

“Vicar's aim is to try to make a very tumultuous race in strategy. Therefore, what is going to happen is this: whoever does Q1 and does not move to Q2 will start from 16th behind with more fuel and better tires than those who go to Q4. The racer who goes to Q4 will have the most worn tire, 16 laps, and at least about 25 liters less fuel. Therefore, the aim of Vicar doing this is to prevail and assist the cars coming from behind to have a chance to fight for victory. They are trying to make the favorite racers´ lives a little more difficult with this strategy. I am not 100% in favor. I don't think it's a real rule, but it is the rule of the game and we have to play as it is given”, says Rodolpho Mattheis, Prati-Donaduzzi team leader.

Mattheis reinforces the team's advantage with very fast cars and good results. “We are doing all the calculations and trying to figure out what the best strategy is going to be, brainstorming what the best starting position for our cars will be. It is a difficult decision, as it will depend on the pace of the car. We are very excited, because the cars are very good. So, the point is to make our strategy come true”, he ends.

The Million Race qualification takes place this Saturday, 24, at 12pm and the race on Sunday, 25, at 11.30am, at Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo, SP.

PRATI-DONADUZZI

Prati-Donaduzzi, the 100% Brazilian pharmaceutical industry is specialized in the development and production of generic drugs. Based in Toledo, western Paraná, Prati-Donaduzzi produces about 11.5 billion therapeutic doses per year and has about 4,300 employees. The company has one of the largest portfolios of generic drugs in Brazil* and aims to grow its sales and production capacity by 15% in 2019.