Three different winners at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez

The TCR México event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez saw three different race winners, all at the wheel of CUPRA Leon VZ cars.

Pablo Cervantes won Saturday’s race in the Centur Silen Racing-run car, while ProRally Mothers teammates and brothers Gerardo jr and Julio Rejón shared victories on Sunday.

In the standings, Cervantes’ co-driver Juan Pablo Sierra, who finished second in race 3, keeps the lead ahead of the RE Motorsports pair of Gerardo Nieto and Pablo Pérez de Lara.

Race 1 – Rodrigo Rejón had topped qualifying, beating Nieto to the pole by 0.181 seconds. It was Nieto who led the field, chased by Rejón. They kept on fighting for the first position until lap 7, when they both went wide while trying to outbrake each other. Franco Zanellla moved into the lead, but after only one lap he was passed by Cervantes who was then able to build a small gap winning by nine tenths, while Zanella managed to defend the second place from Rodrigo Rejón.

Race 2 – Ricardo Pérez de Lara was on pole and took the lead at the start, but Jerónimo Guzmán overtook him during the first lap. In lap 3, Julio Rejón passed Pérez de Lara for second and began to put the pressure on Guzmán. They swapped places several times, then in lap 8 while lapping a group of slower cars they were both passed by Gerardo Rejón jr. and Pérez de Lara, dropping to third and fourth respectively. Two laps later, Julio Rejón overtook Guzmán for third and closed in on Pérez de Lara, eventually passing him in lap 15. Gerardo Rejón jr. took the chequered flag one second ahead of his brother Julio, with Pérez de Lara in third position.

Race 3 – Sierra led at the start from the pole ahead of Pablo Pérez de Lara and Julio Rejón. In lap 4, Rejón advanced to second passing Pérez de Lara who lost another place to Franco Zanella one lap later. However, Zanella retired in lap 8 with a technical issue. Up front, Rejón stole the lead from Sierra, while Pérez de Lara was struggling in defending the second place from Rodrigo Rejón. Then, in lap 10, Rodrigo Rejón lost control of his car and crashed into the barriers at the Moisés Solana bend. The safety car was deployed and two laps later the chequered flag was waved before Julio Rejón, with Sierra and Pérez de Lara completing the podium.

The next event will be the 24-hour race on October 9/11, still at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Race 1

1. Pablo Cervantes (Centur Silen Racing, CUPRA Leon VZ), 16 laps
2. Franco Zanella (Z Racing Team, CUPRA Leon VZ), 0.904
3. Rodrigo Rejón (ProRally Mothers, CUPRA Leon VZ), 1.271

Race 2

1. Gerardo Rejón jr. (ProRally Mothers, CUPRA Leon VZ), 16 laps
2. Julio Rejón (ProRally Mothers, CUPRA Leon VZ), 1.006
3. Ricardo Pérez De Lara (RE Motorsports, CUPRA Leon VZ), 5.015

Race 3

1. Julio Rejón (ProRally Mothers, CUPRA Leon VZ), 12 laps
2. Juan Pablo Sierra (Centur Silen Racing, CUPRA Leon VZ), 1.998
3. Pablo Pérez De Lara (RE Motorsports, CUPRA Leon VZ), 2.767

Championship points

1. J.P. Sierra, 1123 pts; 2. G. Nieto, 1028; 2. P. Pérez de Lara, 1028

Picture: Copa NotiAuto