Tatiana Calderón just made history and is putting any stereotypes to rest when it comes to female drivers. The Colombian racing driver became the first woman to win a NASCAR Brasil race in the overall classification after taking first place in the second race of the series’ seventh round.
© GettyThe 33-year-old was behind the wheel of the No. 25 Ford Mustang for Pole Motorsport by SG28 at the Circuito dos Cristais in Curvelo, Brazil, on Sunday, Sept. 20, when she crossed the finish line ahead of Felipe Malinowski.
She held onto the lead by just 0.527 seconds, according to the series. Considering how her weekend started, the win was even more impressive.
Calderón had to fight her way back
© GettyA mechanical issue during practice put Calderón at a disadvantage heading into the weekend, according to Revista Turbo.
She was left starting the first race from 15th place, but quickly worked her way through the field. Calderón gained 11 positions and finished fourth overall, while also placing second in the Challenge division. That result put her in a much better position heading into the second race.
According to El Colombiano, Calderón started the second competition in fourth place and was able to avoid a crash involving the two cars battling for the lead. She reacted quickly, avoided the incident, and moved into first.
From there, she had to hold off Malinowski for the rest of the 30-minute race.
© Europa Press News“It’s incredible. I’m very happy. It was the longest 30 minutes of my life,” Calderón said after the win, according to NASCAR Brasil. “I focused lap after lap on getting the most out of this car. It’s incredible when you work for a dream and achieve something like this.”
She became the first woman to win overall
© GettyThe victory marked a major milestone for Calderón and NASCAR Brasil. She is the first woman to win a NASCAR Brasil race in the overall classification.
NASCAR Brasil reported that Calderón held off Malinowski by less than a second to secure the historic victory. “It’s hard to put into words what this moment means. The weekend started off complicated, but that forced us to work incredibly hard as a team to get the car back up to speed," she said after the victory, per El Colombiano.
"After qualifying at the back and finishing in the top 5 in the first race, we knew we had a chance in the second. When the leader lost control, I was able to react well and take advantage to take the lead," she added.
Her team boss, Joselmo “Polenta” Barcik, also celebrated the result, telling NASCAR Brasil that Calderón had made significant progress since joining the Brazilian series and "didn’t know the tracks in Brazil.”
For Calderón, the moment adds another major achievement to a career that has taken her through several levels of international motorsport.
© Europa Press NewsThe Bogotá native has competed in Formula 3, GP3 and Formula 2 and served as a test driver for Alfa Romeo Racing in Formula 1. She also raced in IndyCar with AJ Foyt Racing in 2022 and has competed in endurance racing, according to NASCAR Brasil.
Calderón is already looking ahead
© GettyThere won't be much time for Calderón to celebrate. El Colombiano reported that she is scheduled to compete in the GT Challenge of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico, on Oct. 3 and 4 with Nacent Racing.
But her victory in Brazil is one she won't soon forget. “Making history as the first woman to win a NASCAR Brazil race is something I will remember forever,” Calderón said, according to Revista Turbo.
