Murilo Rocha opened NASCAR Brasil activities in Cuiabá (MT) on a positive note on Thursday night (the 30th). At the start of the stage’s night program, the 16-year-old finished the first free practice in eighth place, securing a top-10 presence right in his first contact with the Cuiabá circuit in the capital of Mato Grosso.
This is Murilo’s debut at the Cuiabá circuit in the Ford Mustang #55. The track becomes the third new venue for the driver in the 2026 NASCAR Brasil season, after rounds held in Cascavel (PR) and Santa Cruz do Sul (RS). Of the five races held so far, three took place on circuits new to the competitor.
Despite the sequence of challenges, Murilo has been standing out among the category’s newcomers. The driver leads the rookie standings thanks to solid performances at Interlagos and Velocitta, racetracks he already knew from the campaign that ended with the F4 Brasil runner-up in the previous year.
After the session, Murilo gave a positive assessment of his adaptation to the circuit, despite the interruptions during the session. “Another new track for me, but I had a good adaptation with today’s practice, even with a large portion of the session under red flag we finished the day in eighth place. Now we will analyze the data to seek a good position in qualifying,” he said.
In the season standings, Murilo sits fourth in the Challenge category and is part of the NASCAR Brasil top 10 overall. With the solid start in Cuiabá, the aim is to maintain the pace for the rest of the weekend to keep progressing and continue his rise in the championship.
The stage’s schedule continues on Friday with the qualifying session. On Saturday, NASCAR Brasil wraps up the activities with the Night Challenge, made up of two races held during the night. The official broadcast is available through the category’s YouTube channels.
