The second chapter of Miguel Paludo's trilogy in the world's premier touring car event in 2022 begins to be written this Friday. The seven-time Porsche Cup champion returns to the #88 Chevrolet Camaro prepared by JR Motorsports at Road America.

This is the BRANDT driver's second mixed circuit race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season. Following the example of what he did last year, driving with the colors of the sponsor that has accompanied him for almost a decade in Brazil and the United States, Paludo will run all three stages of the category on a mixed track.

Both in the 2021 races and in the race held at the Circuit of the Americas last March, Paludo was in the top 10 for most of the time, having finished two of the four races among the top 10.

He knows that to make the next leap with the car owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. a good grid position at Road America will be crucial. The entry list for the 45-lap (182.2 mile) race has no less than 41 cars.

In his other recent participations in NASCAR, the driver from Nova Prata (RS) has performed great overtaking maneuvers, always climbing the field. In 2021, he had the first contact with the Camaro in the opening lap at Daytona and started from the back of the grid because the car he took over at the time did not compete fully this season. He used the early stages to advance, had a flat tire, fell back to the back of the grid, and again passed the competition to finish in the top10. A similar script was developed earlier this year at the Circuit of the Americas, when he got a starting position in the middle of the pack but was spun out at turn 1 right at the start, returning to the back of the grid to pass dozens of competitors and finish ninth.

The Xfinity Series schedule at Road America calls for a 30-minute free practice and quali on Friday. The race is scheduled to start at 3:30 pm on Saturday. Bandsports channel has the rights to broadcast NASCAR in Brazil.

To fulfill his plan of starting among the 10, Miguel knows he has to be sharp at the right time at Road America. With a length of 6,515m and 14 corners, the track provides only one "tire lap", when the car can deliver its maximum performance in the qualifying. In addition to precise driving, it is important to work with the spotters to be well positioned on the track, with no traffic - as well as, in the best NASCAR style, count on some luck not to cross stretches of the track under a yellow flag.

What he said:

"The projections for this weekend's race start with qualifying the car well. We've never had any speed problems, but Road America is a track that punishes the tires a lot. It's important to get the tire lap right in quali, after all the second lap is already about 0.5s slower. Being able to do a clean lap is important. Starting in the top 10 and riding in the pack is our big goal for the weekend. NASCAE races are always very dynamic, so being competitive at the beginning is important to have a chance to fight for the win at the end."

Miguel Paludo