Old Stock Race: Dobradinha na abertura da temporada
The 2024 season of the Old Stock Race officially kicked off last weekend. Under intense heat, the audience that went to the Interlagos Autodrome in São Paulo, Brazil, was able to see a great show on the track. In the championship’s debut race, driver Thiago Lourenço dominated the competition and took victory in both races.
On Saturday, May 4th, the drivers completed the qualifying rounds early and then went straight into the first race. On the grid, 24 meticulously prepared Opalas by the teams and tamed by the drivers.
Thiago Lourenço and Ricardo Domenech dominated the front row of the starting grid, turning laps under 2 minutes. At the beginning of the race, there was a bit of chaos as driver Molly Robinson almost went the wrong way at the start of the Senna S. He even bumped into Domenech, who had to use all the escape area. The drivers managed to get out of the jam and continued on.
On the second lap, Pedro Pimenta started to slow down and had issues with the right rear shock absorber. He returned to the race, climbing several positions despite struggling to control the Opala, but did not finish the race.
With Lourenço and Rafael Lopes advancing, the battle for the other podium positions was intense between Konrad Viehmann – making his Opala debut, Rodrigo Helal, and Felipe Matos. Álvaro Vilhena and Daniel Kelemen were also closely following this competition.
Domenech, who had lost several positions due to the incident at the start, made a recovery race, climbing up the grid lap by lap. By the halfway point of the race, the driver of Opala #17 was already in eighth place.
On the final lap, Domenech pushed to overtake Helal and Konrad, crossing the finish line in third place just 0.075s ahead. However, after the race, he was disqualified for the mischaracterization of his Opala, which lost its trunk lid in the crash.
Second race
In the afternoon of Sunday, the 24 Opalas returned to the track. Thiago Lourenço once again led from the front of the grid. The first start was aborted, and the cars realigned for the new start.
Lourenço took off and began to build a lead. Right behind, there was another battle between Lopes, Konrad, and Kelemen. Kelemen, who was making a fantastic climb, had to abandon the race in the third lap. Marcos Philippi also retired early.
In the second lap, starting from the back of the grid, Domenech worked his way into the top ten. Luiz Carlos Zapelini and Pedro Pimenta also made good progress in their positions.
Midway through the race, Konrad and Rafa Lopes engaged in a fierce battle, with Domenech overtaking both and securing the second position.
From then on, the driver of Opala #17 began to chase the leader Thiago Lourenço, closing the gap with each lap.
In the final stages, there were intense battles between Rafa Lopes, Konrad, and Felipe Matos. In the Old Man division, where points are only scored in the second race, Zapelini stood out, climbing from 13th to 6th overall and leading in the Old Man category.
Season of innovations
With the new management structure, Old Stock Race is looking to innovate as a sporting event. This year’s full grid returns to the original regulation: only Opalas (model 75-79) are allowed, aiming for uniformity within the historical context of a single-brand competition.
Drivers who have participated in previous editions have shown confidence in the category and have returned to compete. Additionally, there are newcomers, including the youngest driver in the competition, Mauricio Vilhena, who at just 15 years old shares Opala #77 with Marcelo Apostólico.
The next round of the Old Stock Race will take place later this month on May 26th, again at the Interlagos Autodrome. All information can be found on the competition’s website and social media platforms.
