Driver defending AMattheis Vogel in NASCAR Brazil, Gabriel Casagrande won the initial stage of the fifth round of the 2026 season, held on the night of this Saturday (1) at the Autódromo Internacional de Mato Grosso, in Cuiabá. The owner of car number 83 took the lead in the early laps and secured victory in the first part of the race. The result, combined with 14th place in the final stage, keeps the Paraná driver in second place in the championship.
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The first part of the race lasted 35 minutes. Casagrande took the lead on the fourth lap and maintained it until the completion of the first stage on the 2,800-meter outer ring. In the second segment, the Paraná driver restarted from fifth position and stayed with the leaders when, with less than ten minutes to go, he spun after being touched by an opponent.
“Saturday was positive despite the incident. We had a victory with a very good pace, so I am satisfied. It’s a shame that, again, I lost the fight for the win due to a driver from another class who took me out of the race. I’m sad about that, but happy for the victory in the first stage. I earned important points. I come away with a positive balance and we will have more good things this year,” said Gabriel Casagrande, who is sponsored by Baterias Júpiter, Axalta, OnPetro, STP, Cresol, RP Info, UFI Filters, Chevrolet, and OMP.
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After the round in the Mato Grosso capital, Casagrande has 140 points and maintains second place in the NASCAR Brazil championship, four points behind the leader. In the current season, the driver has three wins, achieved in Santa Cruz do Sul, Cascavel, and the initial stage in Cuiabá, which counted points as a standalone race, in addition to four podiums and five top-5 finishes.
NASCAR Brazil continues the 2026 season on August 22 and 23, when it visits the Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna, in Londrina (PR), for the sixth round of the year, the penultimate before the start of the playoffs that will decide the title.
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