Turismo Carretera first visited the autódromo Parque Ciudad de Río Cuarto in April 1994, and what an introduction it was. Walter Hernandez took victory that day behind the wheel of a Ford Falcon, leading a podium that featured Emilio Satriano in second and Eduardo “Lalo” Ramos in third. Rounding out the top five positions were Juan Antonio De Benedictis and Raul Sinelli. That was not even the end of the action for that year, because the series returned to Río Cuarto in August of the exact same season. Walter Hernandez repeated his masterclass, taking victory once again. Emilio Satriano mirrored his earlier result to finish second, while Carlos Luaces stepped onto the third step of the podium, followed by Patricio Spinella in fourth and Juan Carlos Nesprías in fifth.
History remembers certain drivers for incredible versatility, and Juan María Traverso stands alone as the only driver to conquer Río Cuarto with two different manufacturers. He took a win with Chevrolet in 1995 before returning to the top step with Ford in 1998. Meanwhile, the crown for the most successful driver at the venue belongs to Omar Gurí Martínez. The Ford idol mastered the Córdoba circuit by taking victories in 1995, 1996, and 2003.
Other machines and names carved their own unique places in the record books. Norberto Fontana etched his name in history as the first driver to secure a victory for Dodge on the Río Cuarto layout, with José Ciantini standing as the only other Dodge winner there. For Omar Tanoni, the southern Córdoba track holds a particularly special significance, as it was the site of his first and only victory in the category, achieved with Chevrolet. Beyond the multiple winners like Walter Hernández, Juan María Traverso, Guillermo Ortelli, and Mariano Altuna—each bagging two finals apiece—some manufacturers had a harder time.
In fact, the statistics show a painful drought for one iconic name: from the very first TC final in 1994 all the way to the category's final appearance at the venue in 2012, the Torino brand never managed to take a single victory there. When the chapter finally closed on the circuit's run in 2012, it was Juan Bautista De Benedictis who claimed the ultimate piece of history. The driver from Necochea drove his Ford to victory in that 2012 event, sealing the final winning legacy of Río Cuarto.
Turismo Carretera
