The Brazilian motorsport scene will experience an unprecedented situation this weekend. NASCAR Brasil will break a record for women on the grid in a category that has no dedicated class for women. No fewer than four female drivers will line up for the races scheduled at the Autódromo Internacional de Chapecó (SC). In addition to Bruna Tomaseli and Tatiana Calderón, who already compete in the series, Rafaela Ferreira and Antonella Bassani will contest the event in the interior of Santa Catarina.
The current season of national motorsport had, with the HB20 Cup, the creation of a women’s category, which in its most recent round, in Londrina (PR), brought together seven drivers. NASCAR Brasil, for its part, does not have a specific class for women, which sets the record that will be broken in the interior of Santa Catarina during the triple-header round that marks the penultimate stage of this year’s championship.
Tatiana, the only foreign driver on NASCAR Brasil’s list, comes off a victory at the Curvelo oval circuit (MG), a historic result for women that placed her into the playoff that will decide the 2026 champion. The Colombian driver from SG28 Pro Racing is in her first season in Brazil and has teammate Bruna, who won a race in her category, the Challenge, in her debut year in the category.
Rafaela Ferreira will be the one driver for Cavaleiro this weekend. The competitor, who has been contesting the F1 Academy championship since last year, will face several challenges in Chapecó, as she will race a touring car for the first time in her career on an oval—a type of track she has never tackled in her still-short motorsport journey.
The lineup is completed by Antonella Bassani, who will also make her NASCAR Brasil debut defending Full Time, the team she has represented in other national categories, and who is one of the leading names in the Porsche Cup’s top class. Just like Bruna and Rafaela, Antonella will race for the first time in her home state.
The national motorsport has frequently counted on the presence of women on the grids across its various categories. In the current season of the Copa Truck, three drivers lined up at Londrina: Bia Figueiredo, Thaline Chicoski, and Débora Rodrigues. The Porsche Cup had three women on the same grid in 2024: Antonella Bassani, Cecília Rabelo, and Letícia Bufoni competed at Termas de Río Hondo and Interlagos.
Practice sessions for NASCAR Brasil in Chapecó begin this Friday and continue on Saturday. Qualifying is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, while the races take place at 9:00 a.m., 14:05 and 14:30. F1MANIA.NET will provide complete coverage of the event.
