Gabriel Casagrande, the overall NASCAR Brasil champion and three-time winner of the Special Edition, is aiming to reclaim the lead of the 2026 season this weekend at the debut of the Chapecó International Raceway (SC), the venue for the eighth and penultimate round of the year, which features three races.
Casagrande is one of the season’s standout performers, boasting four victories, six podiums and 233 points in the standings. The AMattheis Vogel driver underlines the significance of inaugurating the Santa Catarina venue for Brazilian motorsport.
“The Chapecó racing facility turned out to be truly sensational. I had the opportunity to check out the track even while it was still under construction, and I’m very pleased that a neighboring state of mine, Paraná, now has a track capable of hosting so many national categories. We will be able to debut on the oval circuit, and I hope we can come away with a victory to stay strong in the title fight,” says Casagrande, who is backed by Jupiter Batteries, Axalta, Cresol, OnPetro, STP, RP Info, UFI Filters and Aeropark Camboriú
NASCAR Brasil activities in Chapecó will open on Friday, with the shakedown and the first free practice. The second practice takes place on Saturday, and qualifying is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. The races are set for 9:00, 2:05 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. SBT will broadcast the morning session, while ESPN airs the afternoon battles. YouTube will stream all three races.
