After five busy stages on Brazilian soil, passing through the circuits of Curvelo, Cascavel, Interlagos, Cuiabá, and Velocitta, the TCR South America crosses the border to begin the second half of the 2026 season. The sixth stage of the championship takes place on August 22 and 23 at the traditional Autódromo Oscar Cabalén, located in Villa Parque Santa Ana, about 10 km from Alta Gracia and 36 km from Córdoba. The event marks the official debut of the high-performance Hankook Ventus F200 tires (260/660 R18) on the 4,045-meter Argentine track at Circuit Number 3, which returns to the category’s calendar after appearances in 2021 and 2023. The goal for the weekend is to surpass the track’s historic qualifying record, set in 2021 by Fabricio Pezzini, of 1min33s082.
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Composed of 14 turns and run clockwise, the medium to high-speed layout demands refined setup and precise reading of tire behavior. The circuit combines long straights with strong braking points and a middle section that requires excellent traction and aerodynamic stability. The racetrack has undergone recent renovations driven by the Government of Córdoba and the country’s motorsport bodies, such as ACTC and CDA del ACA, which included resurfacing the pit area, adjusting curbs, and expanding runoff areas.
Leandro Figueiredo, Hankook’s Warranty and Quality technician, highlights the aspects that will influence the compound’s dynamics throughout the weekend: “This will be our first experience at the Autódromo Oscar Cabalén with TCR South America, and the technical analysis of the asphalt is fundamental. The circuit has undergone works and features a very regular asphalt mass, which offers an excellent and consistent level of grip for the Hankook Ventus F200 tire. Being a technical medium-high speed track run clockwise, the left-side tires will face greater lateral demand, especially in support corners and traction recoveries in the middle section. The smooth and renewed asphalt allows us to safely push the performance limit, and our expectation is to record more competitive lap times than those registered in the category’s previous visits to the circuit.”
The stage in Córdoba opens the final stretch of the fight for the continental title. Argentine Leonel Pernía arrives boosted after winning the TCR Brazil title at Velocitta and leads the South American standings with 265 points. Brazilian Raphael Reis is in second place with 227 points, followed by Pedro Cardoso with 194, Néstor Girolami with 174, and Camilo Trappa with 173. Among the teams, Honda Racing leads the competition, followed by W2 Pro GP in second place, G Racing Motorsport in third, Hyundai MSA in fourth, and Paladini Racing closing the top 5.
After the stop in Alta Gracia, Hankook’s international route with TCR South America continues in Argentina at the venues of Concórdia on September 13, Posadas on October 4, and Rosario on November 8, culminating in the season finale in El Pinar, Uruguay, on December 6.
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The city of Alta Gracia is one of the most important historical and tourist locations in the province of Córdoba, situated in the Paravachasca valley, at the foot of the Sierras Chicas. Besides housing the Jesuit Estancia of Alta Gracia, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the city features attractions such as the Ernesto Che Guevara House Museum and the Manuel de Falla Museum, located approximately 36 km from Córdoba Capital via Provincial Route 5 and 700 km from Buenos Aires.
The official schedule for the stage begins on Friday with free practice sessions. On Saturday, August 22, the qualifying session takes place from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. to define the starting grid for the two Sunday races. The double round on the following day will be divided into two moments: Race 1 occurs from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., while Race 2 closes the schedule from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. In Argentina, live broadcasts are handled by the TyC Sports channel.
For the Brazilian audience, full coverage of Saturday and Sunday activities will be available on BandSports, the BandPlay app, Band.com.br, YouTube Esporte na Band, YouTube TV Gazeta, YouTube Gazeta Esportiva, Racer TV, and Terra (with additional broadcast of Race 2 on TV Gazeta). For the rest of the world, the races will be streamed on YouTube TCR, with global streaming signals in English (YouTube TCR), Italian (Parc Ferme), and German (MTD).
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