A recent Peruvian success: meet the national driver who triumphed in Canada

In July, Peruvian driver Rodrigo Pflucker won first place in the fourth round of the IMSA Prototype Challenge Championship, held at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Circuit in Toronto, Canada. Our compatriot achieved success among 48 competitors, and with this latest result, he remains at the top of the table as overall competition leader with 127 points.

“This is my first victory at IMSA and it feels special. It’s an internationally-renowned championship, steeped in tradition. Obtaining this result fills me with pride and motivation. We are still leaders and we have to keep our minds focused, with the consistency that we have been working on and by competing intelligently, these factors enabled us to win the championship,” said Pflucker, who took the podium with American Austin McCusker, his co-pilot.

The next rounds will be held at the Virginia International Raceway from August 23 to 25, and in Atlanta from October 9 to 12.

Who is Rodrigo Pflucker?

Rodrigo's love for motorsport started at an early age, so much so that by the age of eight he was already racing go-karts. In 2012 and 2013, he was senior national champion in the karting category.

In 2014, he made the leap to cars, participating throughout the season in the Volkswagen Gol R Cup, held at the La Chutana racetrack. After winning the first three rounds, he persevered to become the new champion. The following year, he debuted in international motor racing in the Fórmula 4 Sudamericana class of Formula 4, where he was runner-up. That same year, he won the Copa Argentina in the Fórmula 4 Sudamericana season.

His triumphs were to continue in 2016, when he won Fórmula 4 Sudamericana’s Copa Piaggio Uruguay. Also that year and into 2017, he competed in the Formula Renault Eurocup (Formula 3).

In 2018, he became the first Peruvian to participate in the IMSA Prototype Challenge, finishing the season in 15th place with 78 points.

About the IMSA Prototype Challenge

The Challenge is a championship that takes place in six rounds. In the mid-duration races, the vehicle reliability and driver endurance is thoroughly tested, so drivers compete in pairs. It is also a preliminary step for reaching the highest class of the IMSA.

The IMSA (International Motor Sports Association), is a US sanctioning body for prototype and sports car competitions in North America (United States and Canada). This year it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Details

• Karting is a form of driver training par excellence, and is usually the first vehicle in which aspiring drivers debut, sometimes at as early as five years of age. Drivers such as Michael Schumacher trained with go-karts to stay in top condition.

Sources: Andina/ IPD/ TV Perú/ Facebook/ Nitro