The Santa Cruz do Sul (RS) round of NASCAR Brasil made history for a reason that goes beyond the on-track dispute. For the first time, two women started on the same grid and for the same team, SG28 by Pole Motorsport. Tatiana Calderón and Bruna Tomaselli, aboard the Ford Mustang #25 and #97, were the protagonists of an unprecedented moment in the category.
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The debut also served as a basis for evolution. Tatiana highlighted the learning: “We learned a lot in this first stage in Santa Cruz. We are analyzing all of this to, hopefully, arrive better prepared for Cascavel.” Bruna was direct about the goal: “I think that already more adapted to the car and with how the whole weekend works, without a doubt the objective is to fight for victory.”
The weekend required adaptation to different track conditions. “Practice and qualifying in the dry, race 1 in the wet and race 2 in the dry. I felt comfortable, I think the driver needs to be prepared for any condition,” said Bruna.
With experience in high-level categories, Tatiana Calderón has experience in Formula 2, Formula 1 as a test driver for Alfa Romeo, IndyCar, Super Formula and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. About the adaptation, she commented: “I think it was very important to understand the format, both of qualifying and how the races work, the two-abreast starts, how the car feels.”
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Bruna Tomaselli, from Caibi (SC), built her career in karting, went through Formula Junior Brasil, Formula 4 South American, competed in the U.S. F2000 and was part of the W Series in 2021 and 2022, before migrating to national touring cars.
Historically, the simultaneous presence of women in NASCAR is rare. Since 1949, isolated episodes have recorded multiple female drivers on the grid, such as in the debut of Strictly Stock and in 1977, in the Cup Series in Talladega. In this scenario, the Brazilian achievement gains relevance by showing NASCAR Brasil aligned with a global transformation in motorsport.
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