Brazilian racing driver Celso Neto faced a series of obstacles at the Sonoma Raceway during the inaugural round of the TC America season. However, his perseverance paid off as he secured a fourth-place finish in the second race of the weekend.
Neto, who had never raced on this circuit before, had an impressive start to the weekend. Despite a rainy beginning, he led most of the practices and qualified in fifth position. In the first race, he was running in third place until the final lap when he was notified of a drive-thru penalty from the beginning of the race. Although he and his team at Skip Barber Racing felt the penalty was unjust, Neto finished in seventh place.
The second race was even more challenging. On the first lap, the front fender of Neto’s car came loose and hit the tire, causing him to go off-track and lose eight seconds to the front group. Despite the setback, Neto remained determined and finished in an impressive fourth place, just one second behind the third-place finisher.
“I’m proud of what we achieved this weekend,” Neto said. “We were the second-fastest car of the weekend, and that shows we can be competitive and fight for the top positions. I want to thank my team at Skip Barber Racing for delivering an excellent car and supporting me throughout the weekend.”
Neto’s performance in Sonoma showcased his resilience and ability to adapt to challenging circumstances. Despite facing penalties and technical difficulties, he never lost his focus and fought hard to secure a top finish.
The next race of the TC America season will take place at the NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana, from April 28th to 30th. Neto is confident that he and his team will continue to work hard and perform at their best.
Celso Neto is sponsored by AMED, Oeste Cotton, Dipromed, Supermed, LS Inter Bank, and Sicoob Credipit.