Antonella Bassani will debut in NASCAR Brasil next weekend, from October 30 to November 1, during the inauguration of the Chapecó Autodrome in Santa Catarina. The race will hold special significance for the driver from Concórdia, who for the first time in her career will be able to race a car close to home.
At 20 years old, Antonella will race for Full Time and will be the third woman on the series grid, alongside Bruna Tomaselli and Tatá Calderón. The Colombian recently claimed her first NASCAR Brasil victory, becoming the first woman to win a race in the championship’s overall standings.
The Santa Catarina native enters the new category with national motorsport experience. Champion of the Porsche Cup Challenge class in 2023, she currently competes in the Carrera Cup, the championship’s main division, and has logged more than 50 races in the last four years. Despite her experience, she will face two new challenges ahead: driving a NASCAR Brasil car and competing on an oval track.
The race will be held on the outer circle of the new track, in a format that nods to NASCAR’s oval tradition. To facilitate the adaptation, Antonella relies on her coordination with Full Time, the team with which she has already contested several Stock Car events.
Beyond the sporting challenge, the race carries personal weight. Throughout her career, the driver had to travel to compete in karting and in categories such as Porsche Cup and Stock Car. Now, she will have friends, family, and sponsors from the region following her debut up close.
“I was very pleased with the invitation from Full Time and I am very happy to race in Chapecó. All my life I had to leave home to compete, and now taking part in the debut of a new autodrome in my region is a unique opportunity,” said Antonella.
The driver recognises that the adaptation will be demanding, but she hopes to turn the fans’ support into motivation for her first entry in the series. “Racing at home will be my greatest fuel for this debut,” she concluded.
