Event rebuilt in around 24 hours after severe cyclone damage as the Brazilian endures his toughest race weekend of the season
The seventh round of the Stock Car Pro Series will be remembered by Sérgio Sette Câmara for much more than the results on track. The championship’s return to the newly resurfaced Autódromo Internacional de Santa Cruz do Sul became a remarkable demonstration of teamwork and resilience across the entire Stock Car community.
After years away from the calendar, the circuit had undergone major renovation work ahead of the August 7-9 event. But late on Thursday, August 6, a severe weather system widely described locally as a “bomb cyclone” hit the region and heavily damaged much of the temporary event infrastructure.
What followed became one of the stories of the weekend.
Vicar’s production and operations crews, together with teams, suppliers and event personnel, worked collectively to rebuild the venue in roughly 24 hours. By late Friday afternoon, the cars were back on track for the shakedown and the sporting programme could begin.
“It was impressive to see what everyone achieved,” said Sette Câmara. “On Thursday it was difficult to imagine that we could have a normal event so soon afterwards. The organisation, teams and suppliers all worked together and delivered a great event for Santa Cruz do Sul. That may have been the biggest result of the weekend.”
On track, however, it was Sérgio’s most difficult round of the season. On a technical, newly resurfaced circuit combining medium- and high-speed sections, he and Team Tambasa RC searched throughout the weekend for the grip and balance needed from the #7 car.
Sette Câmara showed encouraging pace with tenth place in the first official practice, but he was unable to find the ideal balance later in the weekend. He qualified 16th, finished 19th in the Sprint and 16th in Sunday’s main race.
“It was our toughest weekend so far,” Sérgio said. “We tried different directions and worked hard on the car, but we never found the balance I needed to attack. That is part of a long championship. We need to understand what happened, learn from it and come back stronger.”
Despite the difficult round, Sette Câmara remains firmly in the Top-5 battle. After seven rounds he holds fourth place with 489 points, only eight behind Felipe Massa in third and five ahead of Gaetano Di Mauro in fifth.
“Not every weekend is remembered only for what happens on track,” he added. “What everyone did to make this event happen said a lot about Stock Car. In the end, we were able to race and give the people of Santa Cruz do Sul the show they deserved.”
ROUND 7 — SANTA CRUZ DO SUL, RS
Practice 1: 10th — 1:18.191
Qualifying: 16th — Q2
Sprint grid: 16th
Sprint: 19th
Main race grid: 16th
Main race: 16th
Championship after Round 7: 4th — 489 points