The NASCAR Brasil Challenge division is set for a tightly contested championship decision in Brasília. Alfredinho Ibiapina and Witold Ramasauskas arrive at the final stage separated by just two points, while Murilo Rocha remains in the title mix. With three races still to run and 75 points up for grabs, five other drivers hold mathematical chances of claiming the crown.
The final stage will be contested on November 29 at the Nelson Piquet International Circuit, on the outer-ring layout. Ibiapina leads the standings with 218 points, against 216 for Ramasauskas. Murilo Rocha sits third with 202, while Bruna Tomaselli occupies eighth place, 64 points behind the leader.
After taking the lead in the penultimate stage, Alfredinho arrives confident to pursue the title. The podium finishes in the most recent races have been important for his comeback in the standings.
“We’ve reached the decisive moment of the season! We took the lead of the championship at the right time and we will fight until the end for this title,” he says.
The driver of car #8, however, acknowledges that he will face a tough rival ahead. Ramasauskas has stood out for his consistency and vows to keep the title fight open until the final race: “He is a very regular driver, who always scores points. It won’t be an easy opponent to face. The clash will surely last until the last race,” he analyzes.
The pressure of deciding does not worry Ibiapina. On the contrary, the possibility of clinching the championship serves as extra motivation. In 2025, he finished as runner-up, just five points behind the winner.
“It will be a major achievement in my career! Last year I was runner-up by five points. We were very close! Today we are leaders and we will do our best to bring home the title that was so close last year,” he states.
For Brasília, the strategy is to accumulate solid points across the three races and avoid unnecessary risks in battles for position. “We will need to be fast in the decisive weekend, score good points in all three races, and not push too hard in overtaking or similar moves so as not to jeopardize our championship,” he explains.
On the other side of the contest, Ramasauskas arrives more confident after overcoming a sequence of mechanical issues. In Chapecó, the driver returned to scoring points and praised the work of the AMattheis Vogel crew in the car’s setup, as well as the help from Gabriel Casagrande: “I am very happy. These are great points for the championship. We were riding a run of bad luck, with many breakdowns, unfortunately, but in Chapecó we managed to get it right. The car was phenomenal,” he says.
The plan for the final is to seize opportunities and avoid on-track chaos. Witold also intends to lean on his four years in NASCAR Brasil and his experience in other categories.
“Our strategy is to take advantage of every moment and score as many points as possible. There are three races. The idea is not to get involved in chaos, to score well, and, certainly, to mark our opponent,” he explains.
The event will also present a different challenge for the championship runner-up. Although he already knows Brasília’s full circuit, he has not yet raced on the outer ring that will host the decider. “It is an incredibly fast track, so I think there will be plenty of excitement. NASCAR is always full of emotion,” he notes.
Regarding the title fight, Ramasauskas knows he must finish ahead of his direct rivals. “What needs to happen for me to become champion is to finish ahead of my opponents. The reality is exactly that. Regardless of position,” he concludes.
