Despite having her on-track weekend cut short after being taken out in race 2, Bruna Tomaselli experienced some unforgettable moments at the fifth round of the Brazilian Stock Series, having made her debut in the KTF Academy program, as well as having taken part in a campaign to highlight the importance of preventing and combating breast cancer.
On the last weekend of October, the Stock Series held the fifth round of the 2023 season and the Velocittà Circuit, in Mogi Guaçu, hosted the popular Brazilian championship.
Unfortunately, before the action on the track began, the competition organizers confirmed the absence of one of the women on the grid - Kaká Magno. She had tested positive for COVID-19 the previous week, and despite being well, following medical recommendations, the RTR Sport Team driver had to stay out: "Staying outside is never fun, but God knows what he's doing and health always comes first", she said. "We'll be back for the last round in Interlagos with everything!"
However, there was positive news as well, with the announcement that Bruna Tomaselli will join the KTF Academy program - which promotes the development of new talents on the national scene. This will certainly boost her personal progress on the way to the highest level of Brazilian competitions - the Stock Pro Series: “I am very happy with my entry into the KTF Academy program. This action is extremely important for my next steps within Stock Car." - said Tomaselli about the announcement.
In addition, an important sponsorship campaign made headlines, as Bruna's car #97 received a special paint job for the Pink October campaign, highlighting the importance of preventing and combating breast cancer.
The racesuit she wore over the weekend will also be auctioned, and the money raised will be donated to the Pernambuco Cancer Hospital, to help treat patients and prevent the disease.
Tomaselli also spoke about the campaign: "Being a woman who competes on equal terms with other drivers, it makes me very proud to be able to take this important cause to the tracks. I hope we can help a lot in raising awareness among as many people as possible."
On the track, the events left a bittersweet feeling at the end of the round, but the first sessions had positive results. In the free practice sessions, Bruna Tomaselli showed a great performance, placing 3rd in the exclusive activity for rookies - with a lap time of 1:36.328, and in 5th place in FP2 - just 0.406s behind the leader. The following day it had rained on the circuit and the qualifying session took place on a wet track. The best lap times recorded by Tomaselli gave her P7 on the starting grid of Race 1 and P9 in Race 2.
Race 1
A few hours later and with a drier track, the ten cars lined up on the starting grid for race 1 and in the first lap Bruna Tomaselli had lost 2 positions. In the following laps, though, she was already working on recovering; at the beginning of lap 9, Felipe Papazissis spun and dropped to the end of the field. Thus, Tomaselli moved up to P8 and continued her recovery drive.
In the second half of the race, she continued to fight to make her way forward, but Bruna Tomaselli eventually settled in 8th place. On the last lap, though, Vinícius Papareli - who had already received a 5 second penalty - had contact with Mathias de Valle and both picked up damage and lost speed; Tomaselli managed to pass both and crossed the finish line in a positive sixth place. Zezinho Muggiati was the race winner.
Race 2
In race 2, Bruna Tomaselli started from the fifth row, in P9. She held position in the first laps, despite pressure from Enzo Bedani who was in 10th place. Even while having to defend herself, Tomaselli tried to get closer to Hugo Cibien who was just ahead, until on the third lap she was pushed off track by Bedani - who was later disqualified for having caused the incident.
Bruna's #97 car was damaged due to the impact with the tire barrier and she was forced to retire from the race. As there was not enough time for repairs to be made, she was also left out of race 3, which would take place a few minutes later, and her participation in the round ended early.
Despite her frustration with the way things ended on Sunday, Bruna Tomaselli chose to focus on the positive side of the weekend at Velocittà Circuit: "Unforgettable! This way, I can define the fifth round of the season."
"If on the track Sunday ended prematurely in the first race, because of a competitor, outside of it I had one of the best days of my career. In addition to carrying the message of Pink October campaign, I made my debut at KTF Academy!"
"The affection of the entire public in Mogi Guaçu was amazing! Whether at the Fan Fest, in the box, visiting the pits and in the stands, the positive energy passed over these 3 days was my fuel. Now it's time to focus on the final round of the season, in December, at Interlagos!" - she concluded.
In the drivers standings, Zezinho Muggiati maintained the lead, with 349 points. With the points gained in race 1, Bruna Tomaselli maintained 8th place and now has 161 points. As she was out of contention, Kaká Magno - who was in 9th - fell to 12th, with 139. But she will have the chance to recover in the final round of the 2023 Stock Series season, which will take place at the Interlagos Circuit, among the December 15th and 17th.