Brasília-born Gustavo Bandeira Lopes, 27, is confirmed on the 2026 NASCAR Brasil Series grid and begins a new stage in his career by moving permanently to touring car racing. The driver will compete with the #85 Chevrolet Camaro from the Paraná-based Team RC.
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With a career that began in karting, Gustavo moved on to formula categories and competed in Europe, consolidating his technical foundation. In recent years, he began focusing on touring cars and gained prominence in the Porsche Cup, with a victory in the Interlagos 500 km.
Regarding the start of the season, he highlights the need to adapt to the sprint format. “I am very motivated for this new challenge and confident that it will be a season of evolution and great results,” he stated. “The initial races will require a quick adaptation to the car and the driving style. It has been a few years since the last time I competed in this format, which brings a lot of excitement and requires a lot of boldness,” he explained.
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The opening round will be in Santa Cruz do Sul, a circuit he already knows, but which still requires adjustments. “It is one of the few circuits I have driven on, back in Formula 3. Even so, I have a lot to adapt to. I hope to do a good job to start on the right foot,” he added.
The driver also highlighted the growth of the category. “Expectations are the best possible. The category is constantly growing and, with the new car (RiSE26), I believe it can further consolidate itself among the main ones in national motorsport,” he said.
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