Motorsport fans from Argentina have a reputation for being extremely passionate, and they even proved it on Twitter: After Agustín Canapino announced that he would be returning to Turismo Carretera with Juncos Hollinger Racing, fellow IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin was intrigued - and may have landed a seat himself just by the hype he sparked when stating his interest. Sim racers cannot experience the series virtually yet, but that should change in the near future.
Image credit: ACTC
Canapino, who made his IndyCar debut in 2023 and is a four-time Turismo Carretera champion (2010, 2017-2019), enjoys an enormous following from his native Argentina, putting together a solid season thus far. Apparently, the Juncos Hollinger driver had been talking about Turismo Carretera to New Zealander McLaughlin, who is no stranger to tin tops as a three-time Australian Supercars champion, before already. The Kiwi wondered about other cars needing a driver in reaction to the announcement - and Argentine racing Twitter went wild.
Fans expressed how they would welcome McLaughlin with open arms, even posting clips of the atmosphere that would await him (which seems incredibly electric). Later, a number of IndyCar colleagues like Romain Grosjean (Andretti Autosport), championship leader Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) and Rinus Veekay (Ed Carpenter Racing), as well as ex-F1 and CART ace Max Papis showed interest.
And it would be for good reason: Turismo Carretera is the oldest continuosly running racing series in the world, having had its initial season all the way back in 1937. Currently, the cars that run in the series are basically highly-developed stock car variants of popular Ford, Dodge, IKA and Chevrolet models from the 1970s plus a Toyota Camry-based car, although these are set to be replaced by more modern models from 2024 onwards.
Having run on courses laid out on public roads (Turismo Carretera roughly translates to "road racing") for many years of its existence, the series has transitioned to more purpose-built circuits since the mid-1990s. The cars still look a bit like spiritual successors of the Group 5 cars that used to run in DRM in the early 1980s, like the Zakspeed Ford Capri Turbo.
Apparently, Canapino has already arranged for McLaughlin to have a seat available if he wants it - complete with the Kiwi's race number 3. Unfortunately, the series is not very present in sim racing outside of a few mods, but with PISTA Motorsport making progress, it may just be a matter of time until it is possible to get a feel for the series in your own rig.
Image credit: ACTC
Canapino, who made his IndyCar debut in 2023 and is a four-time Turismo Carretera champion (2010, 2017-2019), enjoys an enormous following from his native Argentina, putting together a solid season thus far. Apparently, the Juncos Hollinger driver had been talking about Turismo Carretera to New Zealander McLaughlin, who is no stranger to tin tops as a three-time Australian Supercars champion, before already. The Kiwi wondered about other cars needing a driver in reaction to the announcement - and Argentine racing Twitter went wild.
Fans expressed how they would welcome McLaughlin with open arms, even posting clips of the atmosphere that would await him (which seems incredibly electric). Later, a number of IndyCar colleagues like Romain Grosjean (Andretti Autosport), championship leader Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) and Rinus Veekay (Ed Carpenter Racing), as well as ex-F1 and CART ace Max Papis showed interest.
More Spotlight Through Sim Racing?
Could the international spotlight shine on Turismo Carretera soon? Sim racing might help with that even further, as REG Simulations, a trio of Argentine racing drivers, are developing PISTA Motorsport to focus on their home land's racing scene. Appearances of internationally-known drivers and a brand-new sim might go hand in hand for this purpose.And it would be for good reason: Turismo Carretera is the oldest continuosly running racing series in the world, having had its initial season all the way back in 1937. Currently, the cars that run in the series are basically highly-developed stock car variants of popular Ford, Dodge, IKA and Chevrolet models from the 1970s plus a Toyota Camry-based car, although these are set to be replaced by more modern models from 2024 onwards.
Having run on courses laid out on public roads (Turismo Carretera roughly translates to "road racing") for many years of its existence, the series has transitioned to more purpose-built circuits since the mid-1990s. The cars still look a bit like spiritual successors of the Group 5 cars that used to run in DRM in the early 1980s, like the Zakspeed Ford Capri Turbo.
Spectacular Racing
The wildly-popular series offers exciting racing, often side-by-side for multiple corners and with spectacular overtaking manoeuvers sending the crowds into a frenzy. As a result, it is hardly surprising that drivers like McLaughlin find the series to be intriguing and want to give it a shot themselves - and maybe, this will get Turismo Carretera more international recognition that it would certainly deserve.Apparently, Canapino has already arranged for McLaughlin to have a seat available if he wants it - complete with the Kiwi's race number 3. Unfortunately, the series is not very present in sim racing outside of a few mods, but with PISTA Motorsport making progress, it may just be a matter of time until it is possible to get a feel for the series in your own rig.
